Breaking Down The Walls
by Debilitate
Summary: Bella, abandoned by Edward and turned by Victoria, is determined to become someone else. Desperate to turn her pain into something useful, like a new persona, she joins the Volturi guard. While she goes out on missions she becomes closer to the various members and in time, finds something she didn't know she was looking for, and certainly not with the person it happened with.
1. A New Kind Of Pain

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters portrayed in this story. **

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I watched helplessly as Edward walked away from me, his beautiful silhouette disappearing as he blurred through the forest. I wanted to follow him, to make him see that I was only in danger if he left me. That together we could face anything that came our way, just like we had been doing.

I couldn't fathom how the love of my life could proclaim his undying love for me just days before and then dump me like yesterdays trash. How had things gone so terribly wrong? Was I really that weak?

My mind raced from thought to thought as my body buckled and dropped to the forest ground. I curled in on myself, feeling the need to look as small as I felt. My arms wrapped around my knees, clutching them to my suddenly empty and throbbing chest.

I had always been a person who spent more time inside her head; usually over analyzing things, than in the real world and it had never felt like more of a curse than this moment. No matter how hard I tried not to, I couldn't help but reflect on my time with Edward.

My brain refused to take his answer as a possibility without cold hard facts to back it up. Logic was my friend right now and I needed it more than ever. I replayed every encounter Edward and I had, I replayed every conversation, every touch and caress, every glance. It was all factored in and every time I went over it, I was left feeling like an utter fool.

How had I lost myself so utterly and completely in the enigma that was Edward Cullen? How had I allowed myself to give myself over so completely? Granted, I was never exceptionally outgoing or extroverted but I was capable of being alone, I was able to go prolonged amounts of time without thinking of my 'other half' and I could certainly handle my own life.

I'm sure in the recesses of my mind, logic was screaming at me that getting angry and looking for reasons to hate him wasn't a good idea in the slightest but I didn't care.

He left me, he left me alone in the fucking forest. I deserved to be angry. I deserved to feel used and I certainly deserved better than his parting words.

I was torn between feeling an overwhelming surge of anger and being dragged under the tumultuous waves of depression that threatened to drown me. Both seemed appealing but in the end, my body chose for me. Depression quickly descended upon my prone body and wracked it with uncontrollable sobs.

Tears cascaded down my cheeks and pattered onto the dry leaves and dirt below me. I howled like the wounded animal I was and prayed for the pain that was ripping at my chest to pass.

I wanted the ground to swallow me up and end the misery that I knew was going to break me.

Just as my vision started to clear and my tears began to dry, I saw the frightful flash of red blur beside me. My body shivered once before going completely rigid. My body reacted to the threat but my brain had given up; it had screamed to submit to the predator lurking within the woods.

I was sorely tempted to listen to my brain for once and yield to the threat.

I forced my body to relax and awaited the death that would undoubtedly come to me. If I could give Edward one thing, it would be the guilt of my death. I relished the fact that he would forever live with the knowledge that he killed me.

That his selfish actions led to my abysmal death and he would walk the Earth for the rest of eternity knowing I died because of him. The mere thought sent shivers down my spine and a cruel smirk graced my lips.

And as quickly as that smirk landed on my lips, it was wiped away. Through the trees, Victoria emerged, a devilish smile on her face and eyes glistening with the pain that awaited me. I steeled myself and forced my expression to appear defiant, even though I was feeling anything but.

I wanted Edward to feel the pain of my death but that didn't mean I was completely at ease with dying. I knew it was going to be painful but if this was my punishment for being the lamb that foolishly followed the lion, I would accept it.

The beautiful redhead descended upon me, laughing wildly at the fact that I was still curled in the fetal position. Her head tilted to the side as she examined me, her eyes raking over every millimeter of my body.

"Oh my, isn't this a _delightful_ surprise," she mused, a vengeful fire burning behind her blood red eyes. "Little Bella Swan, ripe for the picking." Victoria flashed her razor sharp white teeth, probably hoping it would scare me even more. I don't think she liked my lack of reaction because the next thing I know, she was crouching in front of me, her face shoved in mine.

"I expected this to be a tad more difficult," she paused for a moment and looked around the forest; most likely looking to see if this was an ambush or some part of an elaborate plan. It wasn't.

"Just kill me already," I spat, unwilling to put up with the ridiculous banter and musing these dark vampires tended to do. James had done it and I had no doubt Victoria would do the same. They loved to draw it out and all I wanted was for it to end.

Victoria's hand reached out and cracked my leg, snapping it in the exact same place James had. "I will take however long I choose and you will have no say in the matter," she growled as her nails dug further into my flesh.

I fought the urge to scream out in pain, despite how excruciating the injury was. I could feel the bone pressing into my skin, threatening to break through but I bit down on my lip and refused to vocalize just how much it hurt.

Victoria smirked and pressed down harder, clearly amused with how much resistance I was putting up. As the waves of pain washed over me I wondered if it was smarter to keep biting my tongue or to scream out in pain. Would one option grant me death quicker than the other? Did either really matter when it came to vengeance? If I screamed out in pain it would excite Victoria even more and if I continued to swallow my screams it would only encourage her to inflict more pain and test my tolerance. Either way, she was going to break me. It was just a matter of how long it would take and how much joy she would have doing it.

Silence.

That was all that surrounded us for a few moments and it was almost worse than the pain radiating from my leg.

My teeth ground together in a poor attempt at keeping my cries of pain silent, but what Victoria did next wiped my resolve away completely.

Her face was twisted into a scowl, clearly disappointed with her playthings performance, and leaned her face down so our noses were practically touching. Her breath washed over my face and I had to forcibly resist shivering at the sensation.

"I'm curious as to how your perfect little _Edward_ will react when he finds your corpse scattered across his lawn." Victoria spit out, saying Edwards name like it was a rancid taste in her mouth. But beneath the anger so clearly evident on her face, I could see the unbridled glee that coursed through her at the million ideas flooding through her brain. I could tell she had so much in store for me and it was then that the fear really started to course through my veins.

"Ed-Edward…he isn't here a-an-anymore. H-h-he left…" I hated the stutter that plagued my words but I was determined to say what I had to. To let her know that I was nothing to them anymore, I was just a human pet they had grown tired of having. "They all left." Surprisingly my voice didn't stutter on that one.

Victoria examined my face as I spoke, letting the words sink in as she looked for any telltale signs that I was lying. She must not have found any because the next thing I know, she's letting out this deep and guttural growl.

If it was possible, her features twisted even more and her hands curled into fists as her punches landed on my prone body. The pain…was unbearable.

I could hear the various bones in my body breaking and crumbling beneath the force of her marble skin. _Crack! Crunch! _The sounds shouldn't have been so loud to my ears but they were. Almost as if she was snapping the bones right next to my ears.

I bit down on my lip so hard that it broke skin but I still refused to cry out in pain. I may have been weak enough to let Edward rule my life and effectively destroy it, but I would be damned if I left this Earth being a miserable, sniffling, weakling. I was Isabella Swan and I was done being weak. It may have taken me a lot of heartbreak and pain but I would no longer let the world trample all over me. I was determined to be someone and while this realization seemed ridiculous, especially during the last few minutes of my life, I was glad I had come to it.

My teeth continued to bite down on my lip and as soon as the scent of my blood hit Victoria's senses she ceased all movement, taking a deep inhale. Her nostrils flared and her eyes slid closed, almost as if she were testing a fine wine's bouquet.

Her eyes fluttered open and her bright red eyes were suddenly pitch black. In a blur her teeth were biting down on my hand, her teeth entering into the same spot James had. If I had the time to think about it, I would have commented on how she kept doing things to me that tied her to James in some way. Breaking my leg in the same way James had, biting me in the same spot he had, she even taunted me like he did.

My analysis, of course, was cut short when her body was ripped from mine and the fire started to burn me from the inside out.

I was vaguely aware of large animals tearing Victoria from me, the large masses ripping her apart and the sudden appearance of a smoke cloud filling the air. My vision went in and out as the venom coursed through my fragile and broken body.

It was like being swallowed by fire, feeling the flames licking at every organ, every ounce of blood, invading and overpowering every cellular structure within me. There was no place the fire didn't touch and while the injuries Victoria dealt were painful, it was nothing compared to the transformation that was occurring.

How could I have wanted this?

_Pain. _

_Pain. _

_Pain. _

_Pain._

The words repeated in my head like a mantra, as if the words themselves could reverse the burning that was afflicting my very soul. As if acknowledging the burning pain that flooded my veins could somehow become a balm and reverse the damage being done.

Seconds felt like minutes which felt like hours that turned into days. The pain, while indescribable, only lasted for three days. Logically, I knew that to be fact. Of course, logic doesn't really factor into things when all you can focus on is the blinding pain that has you comatose and writhing in pain.

Three days is how long the transformation from human to vampire takes, but when you're experiencing it, it's nothing close to three days. It's an eternity in Hell. It feels like years are passing by and all you can do is lay there and listen to the world around you, stretching out your senses in hopes of focusing on something other than the feeling of the venom killing off everything that makes you human.

And when you hit that third and final day, when the minutes are ticking by and you realize your heartbeat, which only moments ago was beating soundly, albeit wildly and a bit too quickly but soundly nonetheless, has now slowed down to a mild _thump...thump…thump…..thump_ until eventually, there is no other _thump_.

It's a moment where I'm torn between elation and pure devastation.

I want to mourn the loss of my family, my life, the friends I've made and the life I've yet to live. I want to celebrate a chance to be who I want to be, a chance to be strong, fierce and independent.

And just as suddenly as those two emotions wash over me, I'm overtaken by a completely new emotion. Anger. Raw and unadulterated anger.

My eyes snap open for the first time since the transformation began and it's like seeing the world for the first time. Everything looks crisp and clear and colors that I've never seen before are splayed out before me.

In the distance I can hear birds chirping and water running, I can even hear the pitter patter of a rabbits feet on the ground. I can smell the moisture of rain in the air and a putrid smell of wet dog and…rotten food?

"She is a leech, we don't make friends with them, we kill them." A deep male voice boomed in the distance.

"We have a treaty with the _Cullens_ why not with her too? She didn't ask for this!" Another voice screams in fury. It sounds like Jacob but I'm not entirely sure. And since when do other people know about vampires let alone the Cullens being vampires?

"Jacob, I know that she was your friend but she isn't any more. We can't allow a newborn vampire to run around these parts. She's a danger to everyone around us, to the people we're sworn to protect!" The stranger said again, his voice suddenly dripping with malice and unrestrained anger.

"I won't let you kill her." The other man (Jacob?) says, his angry footsteps marching towards me.

And suddenly, I don't want to verify if it's Jacob or not because I know that he can't stop the fate that awaits me. I was killed and no longer have a home. Forks has become nothing but a place on a map.

My body leaps into the air and propels me further into the forest, my legs moving with such speed that they're nothing but a blur.

I can hear them screaming for me in the distance, hear the distinct growl of something decidedly not human and I can't bring myself to stop. I keep pushing myself, keep running.

Freedom.

That's what I'm running towards. And somewhere around an hour later the pounding of paws on the Earth no longer reaches my ears but it doesn't stop me from running; from fleeing.

I need to keep going and before I know it, I'm on the other side of the States.

The moon is shining brightly over the city and I've got nowhere to go. The streets are shockingly empty and all I want to do is curl up in bed and sleep. But I can't, not anymore.

My brain is too preoccupied with what I can no longer do to notice that my body is leading me down the street and towards a seemingly empty alleyway.

When the thoughts buzzing around my head finally calm, I finally realize what is about to happen.

My hands are wrapped around a man's shoulders, pressing him aggressively into the brick wall of the alley. His eyes are widened in fear and his breathing is quickening as our bodies get closer. I can hear his heartbeat speeding up and the smell of his blood permeates the air.

Without a second thought, my teeth are descending upon the flesh at his neck. The delicate skin there breaks as if it were tissue paper and the warm liquid beneath is flowing freely into my mouth and down my burning throat.

The burn I hadn't quite noticed before is dulling and eventually, it's disappears almost completely. The man flails uselessly as his body resigns itself to its inevitable fate, knowing full well that there isn't enough blood in his system to function let alone ensure his survival.

When the last viable drop leaves his body, his neck is snapped and disposed of inside a dumpster, but not before all his personal belongings are taken.

A credit card, four hundred and seventy two dollars cash and keys to a rundown car are now the only things in my possession.

I thought that killing someone would make me feel…bad. Maybe that's not the right word. But I certainly thought it would affect me in a much more Earth stopping way.

It didn't.

I killed a man to quench my thirst and I feel nothing.

Actually, now that I'm sated, I feel a little giddy.

Suddenly, I feel like being Isabella Marie Swan, isn't such a bad thing.

That maybe, being the monster Edward tried so valiantly to keep me from being, was just what I needed. That this was always what was meant to be.

And it's like realization has dawned on me, bathing me in its everlasting glow. When I was human, I was the epitome of an introvert, and it got me nothing but heartbreak and an ended life. Maybe being a vampire was a chance to become someone new, someone I could be proud to be. Someone who didn't get her heart broken, who didn't succumb to the wiles of a pretty face, I could be someone who did what she wanted and didn't give a fuck what others thought about it.

Yeah, being a vampire was something I could get used to.

And where better to step into the fold than with the Volturi.


	2. The Beginning Of Forever

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How I managed to get to Volterra, I'm not entirely sure. Time seems to move so much quicker when you know it isn't going to end any time soon.

If I weren't so preoccupied with everything on my mind, I might have noticed how perfect the area seemed to be. It was flooded with people who were clearly unaware of the monsters that lurked around every corner. Composed of beautiful architecture and no matter what time of day, it never ceased to look alive, people constantly bustling through the square.

I wandered through the streets that night; having had to wait for the sun to go down, and followed the familiar sweet scent of vampires. Had it not been for the strong trail that led to the entrance, odds are I never would have found it. A lot of things may have changed when I 'died' but my sense of direction was certainly not one of them.

Sighing heavily, I followed the trail and entered though a manhole in an empty alley. Dropping down to the ground I was completely aware of the many voices that echoed throughout the underground lair, which never ceased to amaze me. Though, if this was a lair, it was by far the nicest one in existence.

It was beautiful, deadly, and completely what one would expect vampire royalty to live in.

I closed my eyes and let my senses adjust before meandering down the long corridors.

Painting upon painting hung on the walls, each a classic piece of various well known artists, though I sincerely doubted they were forgeries. No, these looked like perfectly preserved originals. I didn't even bother guessing on how these vampires managed to get their hands on the paintings, somehow it just seemed fitting that they adorned the walls.

As I continued down the long corridor, continuing to make turn after turn, I somehow came to what looked like a reception area.

_How modern,_ I thought wryly as my gaze dropped to the very human woman sitting behind the desk. She was petite, blonde and looked utterly naïve. I didn't quite understand why someone (more specifically a human) would want to be around ravenous vampires 24/7. Did she have no sense of self-preservation?

A voice in my head snorted, '_Didn't the Cullens say the exact same thing about you?'_ I rolled my eyes but thought nothing else of the woman, especially since I had effectively called myself out on my own hypocrisy.

I approached the desk, suddenly feeling unsure of how or what I was supposed to do. How does one even get to belong here? Surely it wasn't as simple as walking in and saying 'Hey, I was just turned and have absolutely nowhere to go, mind if I crash here?' This wasn't a frat house or a vampire hotel, no, this was a place where only those who deserved to be here got to stay.

While I'm almost completely ignorant to the workings of the vampire world, even that much was obvious to me.

This was clearly an elite club that not everyone was allowed to join. I distinctly remember being told that the leader, (Aro?) was a collector of sorts. Everything Carlisle had told me seemed murky and unclear, almost as if someone scrambled the video and set the volume to the lowest possible level.

Though, logic told me that there was only one thing that made a vampire collectible; power.

It was the common denominator when it came to collectors of really, anything.

No one wanted the common cards, they wanted the rare, only three in existence, cards. They wanted the holographic card, they wanted the signed baseball card, they wanted something extraordinary. That basic rule applied to all things collectible, even cars. No one started a collection just to have it, no, people were too selfish for that.

People wanted to flaunt their treasures and I had a feeling the Volturi were the same way but instead of measly baseball cards or cars, they wanted vampires. More specifically, vampires with abilities.

The mere second that bit of information settled into my head I wanted to slap myself. I hadn't been a vampire for very long, a day and a half, tops. I had been able to resist Edward's mind reading ability as a human, so did that mean as a vampire I was able to do the same thing? Was that my power?

Everything about what I was, was an enigma wrapped in a mystery. And I hated it.

I was the kind of person who needed to know things, to understand the basics and go from there. But here I was, walking in blind and completely unaware of what ability(s?) I had. Could a vampire have more than one gift?

So many questions flashed through my mind and I was unable to answer a single one. I didn't know if I had a gift…actually, I didn't know a lot of things.

Quelling my growing frustration and annoyance, I waited for the receptionist to give me her attention.

The second I approached her, her head snapped up and a smile adorned her face. It looked as if she had been doing this job for quite awhile. The practiced ease of ignoring her instincts and appearing relaxed around the predator that considered her to be at the bottom of the food chain made her seem like a pro at her job.

I smiled politely, refusing to show any of the anxiety that was quickly building within me.

"Hello, how can I help you?" The petite blonde asked, her voice sounding surprisingly high pitched.

"I would like to speak to…Aro," I resisted the urge to speak again, to hear the musical tone my voice had suddenly adopted. It was like bells tinkling and it was fabulous. I looked at the receptionist expectantly, looking for any signs that I had asked for the wrong person or completely screwed up the name.

If I said the wrong name, she didn't give any indication. "Just have a seat and they'll be right with you," she said calmly, her hand motioning to a row of chairs just outside two large wooden doors.

No other words were exchanged as I carefully perched myself on the seat.

It seemed that this trip was providing me with more and more knowledge on what I had become. I sat there, only then noticing the lack of movement my body was experiencing. When I was human, I couldn't sit still; some part of my body was always in motion and I had always figured it to be a normal thing. Maybe back then it was. Now? Not so much.

My body continued to pretend like it was breathing but the rest of it only moved when it was necessary, otherwise it was statue still. Huh.

Sitting in this chair, my eyes didn't blink, my breathing was more out of habit than necessity and my limbs didn't twitch, they didn't shake, they were solid and completely unmovable.

I was the epitome a statue.

I tested my limbs, attempting to appear more human. My leg bounced but it felt…unnatural. I furrowed my brow and tried tapping my fingers but even that felt strange.

Any further attempts at humanizing myself fell short when the receptionist lifted her head from her work and spoke to me, "You can go on in now."

I nodded, "Thank you," again, resisting the urge to speak and listen to the musical notes my voice elicited.

Rising from my seat I opened the large wooden doors and walked into the expansive room.

My eyes quickly darted around, absorbing the red curtains that hung from the ceiling and the three ornate chairs that were positioned directly across from the doors.

Three men were seated in them. One with a small smile on his lips, long straight black hair that hung loosely down his shoulders and sharp facial features. His smile, while probably meant to be somewhat disarming was anything but. He looked like the kind of person who thrived on mischief.

To his left was a man with similar facial features, though his were decidedly more subdued. His face, while more oval shaped than the first, was still striking, especially when framed by his long chestnut wavy hair.

The third man stood out from the rest, not because he was more handsome but because his hair was a pale blonde that greatly contrasted with that of the other two men seated. His face, while beautiful was twisted in a scowl as his eyes examined my every inch.

If others had done it, I'm sure it would have seemed lecherous but his staring was almost as if he were sizing me up. Determining just how much of a threat I was, or maybe if I was even worthy of his time.

The room fell silent as the three men stared at me, the one in the middle still smiling impishly. Almost as if he knew some secret I had no knowledge of.

"Hello dear, what can we do for you?" The one in the middle asked; whom I'm assuming is Aro.

His voice was light and playful but even I could hear the undertone of seriousness. "I'm here to request a place among your guard." I tried not to cringe at how unsure my own voice sounded.

"And why, pray tell, would we want you?" Aro asked, his eyes lighting up with interest.

The blonde narrowed his eyes, "What do you even have to offer?" His tone dripped with venom and annoyance, clearly wanting nothing to do with me.

"I have no interest in becoming a nomad. I was just recently turned and have no purpose, no real knowledge of what I am. I don't know if I have any abilities, but something tells me I might." The words tumbled from my mouth without any conscious thought.

My eyes darted from one man to the next, before settling on Aro. He slowly rose from his seat, removed the glove from his hand and outstretched it to me. "Place your hand in mine." It was a command, not a request.

I didn't hesitate to oblige.

My hand slipped into his and his eyes slid closed.

He tilted his head to the side as a smile spread across his face. When he finally released my hand, his eyes were alight with glee. He clapped his hands together excitedly before calling for two people. "Alec! Jane! Come in here."

No sooner had the words left his mouth did the two vampires in question appear in the room. They looked remarkably young, somewhere around sixteen, maybe seventeen at the latest.

Just looking at them, you could tell they were something to be feared.

Jane lowered her hood and revealed long blonde hair and striking blood red eyes. Her full red lips set in a grim line as her gaze towards me hardened and her features morphed into one of sheer hatred.

I could feel the prickling of whatever she was doing on my mind but felt no substantial difference. She huffed angrily and took a step back, allowing the other vampire, Alec, to take her place.

I watched with interest as his features, also hardened. He appeared displeased with the outcome of what he was trying to do but didn't get as angry as his counterpart had.

Unsure of whether the results of this test were a good thing or bad thing, I glanced wearily at the three leaders who had remained seated.

Aro smiled triumphantly, "I don't know the extent of your ability but I can safely say that you are a shield, and a strong one at that. I haven't encountered one of you in such a long time," he muttered the last part more to himself than anyone else.

I furrowed my brow at that information, unsure of how useful this 'ability' seemed to be. Did this make me immune to the powers of all vampires? Was it strictly mental? What exactly did this shield encompass?

"My dear, you will be a great asset to us should you still want to join." Again, he made it appear as though it was an open ended invitation but I could hear the unwavering determination in his offer. Thought it was unnecessary considering I had nowhere better to be.

"I would like that very much," I muttered, my head downcast. I had no idea how to behave around these people but I was well aware that we were on vastly different levels.

"Very well. Jane," Aro waved his hand toward the petite blonde, his grin still firmly in place despite the scowl that seemed to be permanently glued to Jane's face, "show…" he paused, only then realizing the pleasantries hadn't been exchanged.

"Isabella Swan, but I prefer Bella." The words again, left my mouth before I could process them.

He nodded slightly, "Show Isabella to her room."

No further words were said and I pointedly ignored the fact that he said my full name rather than the preferred nickname. I nodded my consent and followed Jane, who wasted no time leaving the room, ignorant and uncaring of whether or not I was following her.

When I caught up to her, we walked in silence down the long corridor. The one thing I noticed as we navigated through the vast maze that was the Volturi dwelling, was that everyone and I mean everyone, moved aside and out of the way of Jane.

Clearly the hierarchy started with Aro and his brothers, a level down was clearly comprised of Jane and Alec. I'm sure there were more layers to this pyramid of power but I knew for certain that I was currently at the very bottom.

I clamped my mouth shut, resisting the urge to ask Jane any questions, seeing as how she gave off the 'don't fucking bother me' vibe.

She stopped abruptly and swung open a door, "This is your room," she said with an edge of hostility, not bothering to hide the fact that she didn't like me.

If I were being honest, I didn't like her much either. It was obvious she was more than a bit power hungry and despite her obvious age, clearly still a brat.

Refraining from rolling my eyes at her behavior, I walked into the room, turning to ask a question only to find the spot she was previously in, empty. _Great_, I thought, _my tour guide is gone and this place is huge_.

I looked around the room, noticing how extravagant it looked despite how little it would be used. I doubted any of the vampires here actually spent more than an hour a day in their rooms. It just seemed pointless to have so many expensive things in here when it wouldn't be used for anything.

The large four poster bed was covered in black silk sheets and a red comforter, the large walk-in closet to the right was barren and a bit intimidating. I hadn't been one to go shopping before but this closet made it seem like owning a ton of clothes was a requirement for any sane vampire.

I scoffed and continued to peruse the room, looking at the intricately wooden dresser and the small bookshelf, imagining all the books that I would line it with. The thought made me burst into laughter, how I could dismiss the idea of a large wardrobe but the notion of buying books instantly brought a smile to my face, the humor was not lost on me.

I was just about to leave when I noticed a large, full body mirror off in the corner, next to the closet. My feet carried me towards it, and when I caught a glimpse of myself I gasped.

I was beautiful.

Strike that; I was gorgeous.

For the first time in my life, I thought I was beautiful. That's not to say I was conceited in anyway, far from it actually. But I was a girl who thought she was nothing special, something ordinary. Drab.

Then, when the Cullens came around, well, let's just say it didn't improve my self-image, it probably (definitely) damaged it a bit. I was around them all the time and I couldn't help but notice how elegant they made everything look, how beautiful they all were. Here I was, a meager human with an okay complexion surrounded by people who were more beautiful than supermodels. So yeah, my self-esteem took a hit.

But now, now I could see what everyone else saw. Wavy mahogany hair that stretched down to the middle of my back, a heart shaped face with perfectly pouty red lips. Pale skin; but I was already used to that, and a perfect complexion. And bright red eyes.

The color should have bothered me; it should have reminded me that I was a killer. That I mercilessly took a life and didn't even bat an eyelash at it, but it didn't. I certainly didn't like how noticeable they were but I didn't care what they represented.

Of course, being the newborn I am, my attention span seemed drastically shortened. One second I'm leaning into the mirror to examine my eyes, the next I'm curling a lock of hair between my fingers and examining the many colors within it.

I had thought my hair was simply brown. I didn't realize that there was so much more to it than that. Within it were hues of red, tinges of blonde, light brown, dark brown, and a bountiful number of colors that don't have a name, just a complicated number on the color palette.

It was amazing and so very fascinating.

Before I could get lost looking at the many changes my body had gone through, there was a sharp and rushed knock on my door.

I blurred over to the door and swung it open; mindful not to break the thing. Gauging my strength was still a bit of an issue and I suspected it would be for quite some time.

Opening the door, I realized my burst of happiness from examining my newfound beauty was to be short lived. Jane stood on the other side of the doorway, her seemingly perpetual scowl still firmly in place.

"Master Aro has ordered me to take you to get some new…" she paused as her eyes roamed my body, a look of pure disgust twisting her features even more. And just like that, the confidence I had built up crumbled to the ground. "Clothing," she finished; her distaste in my attire quite evident.

I schooled my features as her eyes made their way up to my face, hoping that outwardly, I didn't look as pathetic as I felt on the inside. The thought caused the beast inside of me to roar in outrage. The flicker of self-doubt and reclusion snapped back, leaving me at the mercy of my beast.

It hissed in pure fury. Refusing to allow my psyche to tarnish all that I was, to make me into the person I was before I changed. Confidence swelled within me as my back straightened and my face hardened.

_I am Isabella Marie Swan. I refuse to be the sniveling, weak human I was before. I am a strong willed and determined vampire. I am not one to be trampled on anymore! _

I steeled myself and let the words sink in, forcing my mind to accept it as fact. I came here to be someone different; I wanted to be someone I could be proud of. A person who didn't submit and mold to the expectations of others. I was not a brainless organism that adapted to those around me.

I scoffed loudly at Jane's comments and brushed past her, closing the door on my way out.

"I'll save you the trouble of slumming it with me. Besides, I doubt your input would help my…"I paused and let my eyes roam over her figure, my eyebrow rising in distaste, "attire." I said dryly, taking joy in the stupefied expression she wore. A second passed and her shocked expression quickly reverted back to her usual angry demeanor.

I didn't wait for a response as I walked away, a small smile spreading across my lips. It felt strangely invigorating to stand up for myself, and I was sure it was only going to get better as time went on.


	3. Learning To Fight

I don't what I expected when I first decided to join the Volturi guard. I know that I wanted to be someone different but I don't think I put much thought into what that would entail. If I were being honest, I didn't know what being a part of this 'organization' would mean but it couldn't have been anything pleasant. From the look Carlisle had on his face when he described his time here, it was apparent that he didn't exactly enjoy himself.

Me? I don't think I know enough about this place to feel one way or the other. I've only been here a few days but it doesn't seem…unpleasant. It's actually been pretty low-key. I haven't done much and have been basically left to my own devices.

So far all I've managed to do is buy some clothing (which was to Aro's insistence, not mine) and explore this ridiculously huge place.

I was getting ready to start yet another uneventful expedition of the grounds when a hand clamped down on my shoulder and stopped me dead in my tracks. My whole body tensed as I whirled around to glare at the person who dare put their hands on me.

Every part of my body was coiled to attack, my muscles straining and tensing and only after a deep breath and the realization that I was about to hit a valued member of the guard, kept me from lunging.

Before me stood Felix. I hadn't personally talked to him but he reminded me a bit of Emmett. He was just as large as him but didn't have the disarming dimples. It seemed everyone here with the exception of Aro had a serious demeanor.

I glanced at the hand that was still firmly gripping my shoulder, a growl building within my chest.

My involuntary reaction caused his serious expression to morph into one of mild amusement because he smirked and quickly took his hand back.

"Relax Swan, I've got orders to take you to the training room." Felix said, his voice still laced with humor. He didn't wait for a response before turning around and leading the way.

"Training? I asked dumbly, partially distracted by the fact that every vampire in this place refused to wait for anyone to walk with them, opting instead to walk away and expect the other person to catch up and follow.

"Yeah, the guard isn't just for looks. You need to be able to defend yourself."

I strolled alongside him, more than a little excited at the prospect of doing something other than exploring and reading.

"Cool." I smiled for what felt like the first time in forever. I probably shouldn't have been so excited to do something as simple as learning to fight but if I was going to reinvent myself personality wise it would only make sense to do the same physically. Maybe if I could defend myself I wouldn't be so quick to relapse into my reclusive and introverted behavior.

Felix didn't say anything, though there aren't many ways to respond to the comment 'cool' so the silence made sense.

The room was littered with mats and training equipment, not that any of it was really necessary. It was doubtful that anything short of setting us on fire would kill us.

I took my place on the mat and crouched defensively. Felix stood in the opposite corner and lunged at me. I barely had enough time to roll to the side before he landed a swift kick to my ribs. A deafening _crack_ echoed through the room as my skin cracked before reknitting itself together again.

From the giant grin on Felix's face, I'd say that the lesson I was about to get was not one I would enjoy. He seemed intent on not only dealing pain but taking great satisfaction in it, but from the playful demeanor he had I didn't think it was meant to be malicious.

"You're going to pulverize me, aren't you?" I asked bluntly, trying to gauge how big of a hit my barely existent pride was going to take.

He nodded enthusiastically and cracked his giant knuckles, "Oh yeah." He boomed with laughter and before I could even respond, he was lunging at me again.

Acting on sheer instinct, my body ducked and my shoulder slammed into his gut. His massive body went flying back before he used his hands and feet to stop from skidding into the wall.

Felix continued to collide into me mercilessly; landing punches and kicks before my body even had time to react. Cracks spread across my marble skin, barely having enough time to heal before more cracks appeared in their place.

I hadn't thought I would be quite so weak but this sparring lesson with Felix was teaching me otherwise. Even being a newborn didn't give me the one up on him. I suppose that centuries of training would help with that. If I, a newborn vampire with no fighting experience, could beat Felix, then the guard wouldn't be quite as prestigious and feared as it was.

Hours into the fighting 'lesson' I was seriously starting to doubt how useful getting my ass kicked was supposed to be. If I was going to be taught to fight, at some point shouldn't there have been some sort of instruction? Some acknowledgement of what I was doing right or wrong? It wasn't that I needed any sort of validation but I wanted to take this job seriously, I wanted to be able to rely on myself and only myself.

"Uh, shouldn't you be giving me pointers or something?" I managed to say while dodging yet another one of Felix's powerful punches.

Felix didn't respond, instead he sped up his attack and tried to land another swift kick to my ribs. I rolled out the way with just enough time to grab his leg and swing him down to the ground.

I jumped backwards, trying to create as much space between my opponent and I. Felix kicked himself up off the ground and darted towards me, his fist poised to punch.

I kicked out his leg just as his fist crashed into my face. It was one thing to get kicked in the ribs but a head-on punch from Felix to the face was excruciating.

"Son of a bitch!" I hissed; my anger at being pulverized so easily sending me over the edge.

"You're getting better Swan," Felix commented with that infuriating smile still firmly in place.

There is no way someone could be that damn happy all the time. If I had any doubts about the similarities between him and Emmet, I didn't anymore. Both of them were unusually optimistic and seemed to take joy in being the big kid on the block.

I ground my teeth together as I thought more and more about the Cullens. No matter how hard I had tried to pretend like they didn't exist, I just couldn't do it. Every vampire I met here seemed to evoke some memory or parallel to the vampires I once considered family.

The mostly calm facade I had managed to create crumbled to the ground as images of Edward and his family flashed unbidden through my head. I wanted to howl out in pain and rip everything to shreds.

It was easy to tell myself that they weren't important anymore, easy to lie to myself and believe that once I came here I could just be someone else. What I didn't factor in was that things are never as simple as you think they'll be.

Sure, I could force them to the back of my mind and pretend like they never existed but that wouldn't solve the problem. Not really.

If just the thought of them crippled me with either anger or grief I doubted ignoring them completely would fix that. But I've never felt pain like this before. Everything that I was experiencing was new and I had no idea how to deal with it.

No matter how I looked at it, I was alone and forced to deal with these problems accordingly.

I couldn't get closure because I knew that if I saw Edward this soon, I'd forgive him. I'm nowhere near strong enough to resist the pull he has on me, at least not yet.

And with that sad realization, I can't help but wonder if I really would succumb to his charm. My emotions at this point were pretty volatile. I chalked that up to being a newborn but I couldn't honestly know for sure.

I entered the realm of vampires pretty much blindly and definitely against my will.

So, with my emotions being basically a crazy roller-coaster ride I couldn't be 100% sure I wouldn't want to kill Edward for what he did to me.

He left me alone in the woods and wiped his hands of me. How does someone get over that?

It was all too much and at the same time, not enough at all.

I had already spent too much time thinking about Edward and his family and it was only driving me more and more insane.

If I were going to work through this, I needed to figure out what it was like to live without him, without them. I would need to get back to who I was.

And I would start with training. Each step of the healing process would be different but they would all help me reach my end goal.

I would pour my mind and soul into training and work my way up from there. I was determined to get over this and come out on top.

Edward cut me loose and I needed to accept that and move on. In time, I'd be able to see him for the person he was, not the fictional person I had made him out to be in my head.

"You're getting better, Swan," Felix remarked as he flitted around me. Just as he finished his comment he landed yet another hit.

The beast in me growled in frustration, "How can you say that when you keep pummeling me to the ground? How the Hell is that getting better?!" I screamed in outrage; all my anger and annoyance being directed towards the only other person around.

His lips quirked and he bust out into a booming laughter. I felt my eye twitch in annoyance as he just kept on laughing. Whether it was at me or the situation, I wasn't quite sure but I do know I didn't like it one bit.

A growl built in my chest before rumbling out and before I could even register what was happening I was tackling Felix to the ground as my fists rained down on his face. Every hit to his smug face sent a shiver of excitement down my spine.

He flailed beneath me, attempting to grab my wrist and fling me off but every time he grabbed my wrist I would twist this way or that and pin him again.

We kept up until he was effectively pinned and my teeth were bared mere inches from his neck. The second he realized our positions his body went slack.

I hopped off of him, somewhat unsure of where that outburst had come from.

"Don't over think it." Felix dsid from across the mat, his hand rubbing his cracked cheek.

"What?"

He leveled me with a suddenly serious look before shrugging his shoulders. "I said, don't over think it. Vampires have a built in defense mechanism, it's what makes us such great predators. It's engrained in us to fight and if you give yourself over to your instincts, you're going to win nine times out of ten."

I stared at him blankly for a moment, letting the words sink in. "What about the final one tenth of the time?"

He smirked again; his eyes alight with humor, "That's what the training is for." Felix looked at the mat and titled his head to the side, "I know you don't think you're getting better, but you are. When we started you could barely dodge one attack and by the end you were dodging most of them and even landing a few yourself. You aren't gonna suddenly be a great fighter but you're learning fast. By your first mission I'll have you fighting like a pro."

I didn't know how to respond to that. A 'thanks' seemed like an understatement but it was the only thing I could think to say. "Thanks Felix, that means a lot." I muttered.

He just flashed me a big grin before lunging towards me again.


	4. The First Assignment

For three weeks I trained with various members of the guard but majority of it was with Felix. While I didn't consider myself to be much of a fighter; a lifetime of clumsiness could attest to that, everyone insisted that I actually had a knack for it. I could only hope they were right seeing as how my first mission was going to be happening soon.

I wanted to be able to hold my own no matter what and if what everyone else was saying was true, I would have no problem doing just that.

I had just changed when there was a knock on my door. I swung the door open and came face to face with Jane.

She didn't look as angry as she usually did but she certainly didn't look happy.

No words were exchanged as I grabbed my cloak and followed her to the chambers where Aro, Marcus and Caius were.

"Ah, Isabella!" Aro said as soon as I entered the room, a childlike grin on his face. Why he seemed so excited to see me, I have no idea but I would be lying if I said a small part of me wasn't thrilled by the attention. It was different…good different, to feel important and have a purpose.

I bowed my head, "Master Aro," the words felt strange but it was customary so I went along with it.

"We have called you both here because we have an assignment for you both. It's nothing too difficult but we figured we would pair you with Jane in case things get tough." He paused and exchanged a look with his brothers, mostly Marcus, before looking back at Jane and me. I don't know what that look was for but I'm sure I'll be finding out soon enough.

Jane huffed but said nothing, making it clear she wasn't on board with this assignment.

Aro ignored her, "There has been an increase in newborn attacks in Seattle and we would like you two to investigate and destroy any newborns you find. We can't have a bunch of unruly vampires exposing us, now can we?" He said it jokingly but we all knew the truth that resided within it; exposure was not something that would be tolerated.

Jane and I both nodded our agreement before walking out. "Let's just get this over with," Jane spat as soon as we were out the doors.

"Whatever," I mumbled, still unsure as to why there was so much animosity between us. I hadn't done anything to her and yet it seemed like every time we met she hated me just a little more. I had been told that it was just part of who Jane was but I doubted that was the real reason.

Deciding not to dwell on it any more, I pushed it to the back of my mind and focused instead on the mission we were about to embark on. I found myself torn between excitement and overwhelming anxiety.

Despite having been a vampire for a little while, it was still pretty hard to lose than human mentality. I was sure that as time went on I would slowly but surely start to forget all the strange quirks I had when I was living and breathing. Anxiety over the little things was one of those things I couldn't wait to be over.

It's a strange thing, I know, but I couldn't quite shake it. I was confident in my abilities to fight and protect myself but that piece of my humanity, that part of the 'Old Bella' refused to give up that facet of my personality. I was accustomed to being clumsy and accident prone and being around the Cullen's only served to further prove how fragile I truly was. Despite that I was basically indestructible, I couldn't shake that view.

The logical side of my brain new for a fact that I was more than capable when it came to this job but the more emotional side of my brain refused to acknowledge that as fact.

I was sure that if I could just make it through this day, I could make myself see that any anxiety that I had was pointless. I knew I could handle this mission; I just had to make myself realize that.

Jane and I left right after we were given the information on the attacks in Seattle, opting to do it immediately rather than waste time.

Like so many of our previous encounters, it was done in eerie silence.

I wasn't sure if that bothered me or not, but I chose to once again, not dwell on it.

Once we got to Seattle, it was just as I had expected. Despite it being two in the afternoon, it was fairly dark out; probably due to the cloud coverage and heavy rain. Looking around, I was expecting to be hit by a wave of nostalgia or something close to it but it never came. This was probably the closest I would come to going home and I didn't feel a single thing.

I know I should have missed Charlie, and a part of me did but it wasn't overwhelming and it barely registered in my mind. I was positive he would manage without me, especially since our relationship resembled that of roommates rather than father and daughter.

I was drawn from my thoughts when the overpowering scent of blood hit my nostrils followed by the sound of laughter and glass smashing.

Jane and I exchanged a look before taking off in the direction of the noise. The falling rain did little to mask the overwhelming smell of blood and vampires and the closer we got to them the more in sync we became.

A flick of a hand and both of us were darting towards the entrance of an alley, each crouching on one side. We watched as four newborn vampires circled around two teenage girls, one of which was bleeding from a large gash in her forehead.

We watched with rapt attention as one of the vampires, a blonde boy around sixteen lunged for the girl with the busted forehead. Just as he bit into her the other vampires descended like rabid animals.

Jane and I looked at each other, silently communicating who was to go after whom. It was strange to think that the two of us could be on such different wavelengths most of the time but when it came down to a battle, we were suddenly on the same page.

Nodding my consent at the nonverbal plan, we sprung from our spots and tackled the feeding newborns. It was obvious they were new as their feeding was sloppy and almost seemed starved and desperate. The blonde came at me, his fists swinging erratically and he tried to land a hit.

My body acted on pure instinct, much like Felix had taught me, and his fist whizzed by my head time after time. With a swift kick to the chest he was sent flying backwards into a dumpster that crumpled and dented around his body.

While blondie struggled to free himself from the confines of the dumpster, the other newborn, a tall and lanky brunette boy with long shaggy hair suddenly came rushing towards me. His body slammed into mine before I even had a chance to react. His fists rained down on my face as he straddled my waist.

My legs kicked wildly, my main priority was to get him off of me. While I tried to shift his weight enough to fling him off of me I saw Jane frozen in place as the two newborns circled her, much like they had done to their prey.

My forehead crinkled in confusion as I wondered why Jane wasn't using her power let alone trying to get the two newborns. I knew for a fact that she could handle them, it was why she had been sent with me after all.

My confusion only grew as one of the vampires placed his hands firmly on either side of her head and started to pull.

It was like my vision suddenly bled red as anger coursed through my veins. Looking back on it later, I wouldn't be able to identify why seeing Jane being nearly ripped apart set me into such a fit of rage but in the moment I couldn't focus hard or long enough to discern anything other than making sure she was safe.

My lips pulled back as a guttural growl burst from my mouth. My teeth clenched together so tightly I thought for a brief moment they might crack under the pressure.

Before I knew what was happening, a bubble of pressure built in my chest before bursting through my skin. The newborn that had been straddling my waist was flung from my body and directly into the brick wall behind him.

With speed that I didn't know I possessed, I was rushing towards the vampire whose hands were still pulling at Jane's head. My hands wrapped around his neck and squeezed until his head popped off like a cork in a wine bottle.

The second his head left his body, Jane started to move again; whirling around to face the remaining newborn that stood frozen in her tracks.

The girl dropped to the ground, howling in pain as Jane used her ability on the newborn.

Sensing movement behind me, I turned to find the two newborns I had been fighting earlier enclosing on me. That familiar bubble of pressure built in my chest before surging forward and sending the two newborns once again flying through the air.

Deciding not to waste time, I grabbed the one closest to me and yanked his head off, relishing the fear that adorned his blood red eyes. The other newborn clamored to his feet and tried to flee, obviously realizing that the odds were not in his favor.

I was enjoying the thrill of fighting too much to let him get away. Some part of me, a rather sadistic part, wanted him to run so I could chase him down. I wasn't even aware that this part of me existed but no matter how much I wanted to draw out the fun, I couldn't. I was here to eliminate the newborns and I intended to do just that.

With an air of disappointment, I wasted no time slamming the newborn into the ground and ripping his body apart.

When I looked over my shoulder at Jane, she was staring at me with a look in her eyes that I couldn't quite place. It was the first time I had seen her look at me with something other than hatred or disgust. I wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bag thing but I sure as Hell wasn't about to push my luck by asking her.

She seemed like the type to shy away from feelings and from my own personal experience, she might just have the right idea, being too in tuned with your emotions tended to be a bad thing.

Dropping the dismembered newborns into a pile and tossing a match at it, I approached Jane. Trying to act as casual and nonchalant as possible I glanced at her pile before throwing a match into it. We both watched as the piles burned and the heavy smoke floated into the air, leaving behind only twin piles of sparkling ash.

"What next?" I asked, fighting to keep my voice level so as not to betray the curiosity behind why Jane had been almost killed.

"We look for any other newborns and then we head back to Volterra." Her voice was softer than usual, lacking the angry edge it had so often adopted whenever we talked.

It was quite honestly, one of the most beautiful sounds I had ever heard and I couldn't help but wish she would use it more often. Along with her suddenly softer voice, her trademark scowl seemed to have been replaced with an almost impassive look. While I'm sure a smile would have done wonders for her face, I would take what I could get.

"What should we do with the humans?" I asked, glancing down at the prone bodies of the two girls, one of which was already starting her transformation.

"Kill them." Jane looked at the girls for a second before walking out of the alley and towards the street.

"Yes Ma'm," I muttered while mock saluting. Rolling my eyes, I grimaced before snapping both of the girls necks and tossing them into the dented dumpster.

Stuffing my hands in my pockets I strolled out of the alley and over to Jane, "We might as well canvas the rest of the city. It shouldn't be too hard to find them if they're as bold as those four were." I commented while surveying the dark streets.

Jane just hummed before taking off down the street with me fast on her heels.

For the next hour and half we canvassed the city looking for any other newborns but we came up empty. I had been hoping we would find more because this was by far the most interesting thing that had happened to me since becoming a vampire.

If this was how it felt to be on the guard, I had no idea what everyone complained about. It was thrilling to have a purpose and to be able to exercise your power like this. Besides, if it hadn't been for this mission, I probably wouldn't have realized the full extent of my ability.

I had been under the impression that being a shield simply meant I was protected from powers that affected the mind but it seemed like I could manifest that power into something physical too. Granted, I wasn't completely sure how to use it but at least I knew it was there.

If I could just focus on the feeling I had when I used it, I would probably be able to get some control over it.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts I barely registered the funny look Jane was giving me as we walked back to the airport. I glanced at her warily, unsure how to be around her considering how bipolar she seemed to be around me. "You aren't going to hug me or anything, are you?" My tone was light and jovial and I had hoped Jane wouldn't take it seriously but the look in her eye told me she was considering doing just that. Just as soon as that look flickered in her eyes it was gone.

She rolled her eyes, "No." Again, we walked in silence, but this time it was less tense and almost peaceful. "Thanks," she muttered so quietly I wasn't sure I had even heard it correctly. But the way it was said, almost like someone was pulling her teeth, made me sure that I had, in fact, heard her correctly.

"Yeah, well, I couldn't very well go back without you, now could I? I doubt Aro would take kindly to me getting his favorite vampire killed," I responded, a little more harshly than I had intended. I stuffed my hands further into my pockets and sped up my walking in a sad attempt to prevent any further conversation.

I don't really know why being around Jane tended to send me into an emotional overload but I know that I didn't like it. I hated not being able to control my emotions and it seemed like no matter how calm and stoic I tried to be around Jane, she always managed to get something out of me.

And those damn looks she keeps shooting me weren't helping any either! I could understand why I was an emotional mess; I could feasibly blame it on my vampire status as a newborn. I wasn't so sure what her excuse was.

It was infuriating to not be able to get a proper read on her. One moment she looks at me with a look of pure hatred, the next it's a look of mild irritation and now…I have no idea what the look in her eyes is but I'm sure it won't last long.

By the time we got on the plane I was no closer to figuring Jane out than I was when this mission had first started. Trying to decipher the mystery that was Jane was going to give me a headache; so, instead of trying, I opted to just ignore my interest in her for as long as possible.

I knew in time I would have to address why her behavior interested me so much but for now I could claim blissful ignorance.

* * *

When we got back to Volterra we immediately went to see Aro to report what we had encountered in Seattle.

I wasn't too thrilled about that but the prospect of hearing why Jane had nearly gotten herself killed was far too intriguing to pass up.

The moment we stepped into the chambers Aro was out of his seat and hugging us enthusiastically. He was still smiling widely and I idly wondered if there was ever a moment he wasn't grinning like a fool. Based on my previous encounters I highly doubted it.

He took his seat and waved his hand at Jane, signaling for her to explain how the assignment went.

"When we arrived in Seattle we immediately found a group of four newborns feeding on two human females. We waited until they were all feeding before ambushing them and killing them." Jane paused for a moment, her face contemplative. I figured she was weighing her options on whether it was prudent to mention how close she came to her final death.

With a sigh, she reluctantly continued, no doubt figuring that Aro would find out the second their hands touched. "While we were dealing with the newborns I discovered one of them had an ability. I'm not certain what exactly it was but with just a look, he froze all of my movements. While stuck like that, I was unable to use my power on him. Had it not been for Isabella I would not have made it back here." She cast a sideways glance at me before looking obediently at the three brothers seated before us.

All three looked to be digesting that information. Aro rose from his seat and walked towards Jane, who already had her hand outstretched for him to grab. Aro slid off his glove and grasped her hand delicately, his eyes fluttering closed as the events replayed in his head.

They stood like that for a few moments, all the while Aro's smile was continuously getting bigger.

That only served to make me feel more uneasy. By no means was what happened smile worthy and that annoyingly familiar feeling of anxiety started to swell within me.

When I glanced at Marcus and Caius I was surprised to see Marcus glancing between Jane and me. His eyes were wide with interest as he examined us both. And for the second time in mere minutes I felt that foreboding feeling clutching at my chest.

Aro released Jane's hand and stood before me, his hand outstretched.

I sighed inwardly, knowing that this was a fruitless effort. After talking to a few of the other guard members I had learned that it was possible for my mental shield to be retracted and even extended to others but up until this point I hadn't really figured out how to do that.

When I put my hand in Aro's he instantly frowned and I knew his attempt at getting inside my head had failed.

"Interesting," he mumbled before reclaiming his throne. _Is he going to say that every time he touches my hand? _I wondered while I watched him walk away.

"What is it, brother?" Marcus asked, his eyes shining with that same amusement and intrigue that usually only Aro had.

"It would appear that Isabella is not just a mental shield but a physical one as well."

I refrained from rolling my eyes at his behavior. I could already see the thoughts whizzing through his head, the most predominant being his ability to brag about having a vampire who was a complete shield.

He just struck me as the kind of person who liked to flaunt things like that. The fact that his guard was basically comprised of nothing but 'super vampires' pretty much solidified that assumption.

Caius looked completely disinterested in that information while Marcus seemed to be mildly fascinated by that, though not as much as Aro was.

I stood there silently, having absolutely nothing to add to the conversation they were having.

"Can you use that power again, Isabella?" Aro asked, his body vibrating with excitement.

I cocked my head to the side and considered his request. I hadn't really been aware of what I did to make that particular power surface but I did remember the pressure that built in my chest. So I figured that was probably the key to controlling it.

"I can try," I said, more than a little unsure of how this experiment would go.

Aro clapped his hands together, "Good!" He glanced between me and Jane before summoning Felix into the chambers. "Felix, I want you to try and kill Jane."

I couldn't help but do a double take at his order. I was even more surprised when Felix obeyed and rushed towards Jane.

Their bodies collided and while I was sure that Jane could beat him hands down, I couldn't help that familiar anger that rose within me at the sight.

It was starting to bug me that I kept feeling so protective of her. I growled in annoyance before focusing on the pressure in my chest.

I imagined the pressure growing and growing until it couldn't be contained any longer. I mentally pushed at the bubble of pressure, imagining it flying towards Felix's body.

The very second I thought it, it was happening.

Felix was sent flying backwards by an unseen force and landed on the other side of the room.

Jane rose from the ground and dusted off her cloak while Felix stood up and shook his head, pieces of marble falling from his hair.

As I watched Aro, Marcus and Caius talk amongst themselves about what had just transpired; I wondered just how much this ability of mine could do, how far I could push it and to what extent it could protect me.

It seemed like all aspects of my ability were meant to be defensive but this physical manifestation of my mental shield could be used as offensive too. Did that mean I could use this physical part to shield myself from any and all attacks?

I hadn't thought being a mental shield was anything special but now that I knew there was a physical aspect to it I couldn't help but get excited.

I knew that controlling these powers was going to be difficult but I was more than willing to try.

"How very fascinating," Aro said, his attention now directed back onto Jane and I. "You are all dismissed." We all nodded before walking towards the doors, "Jane, a moment?" Marcus said, his eyes still darting between us.

I quelled my frustration at the looks and walked back towards my room.

When I saw Jane later that day on our way to feed, one look at me and she instantly paled, if that was even possible for a vampire.

I looked at her quizzically before shrugging it off.

Whatever her deal was, I had no doubt it had at least something to do with what Marcus had discussed with her earlier.


	5. Making New Friends

After our first and only assignment together I noticed that Jane was avoiding me like the plague. When we did run into each other, she would get this weird look on her face before rushing off in the opposite direction.

Her behavior was very reminiscent of another vampire I had known. She was pulling the same crap Edward had; talking to me one second then ignoring me the next, the bipolar emotions, and especially the weird looks. I swear, if she tells me 'we shouldn't be friends,' or 'I'm not good for you' I could in no way be held responsible for my actions.

I was getting better at ignoring the whole thing but thoughts of her and her strange demeanor continued to nag my subconscious. That alone was enough to irk me to no end.

I was desperate to take my mind off the confusing subject so when the opportunity to get out presented itself, I jumped at it.

While trying to master the use of my shield, both mentally and physically, I overheard Heidi talking about going out into the city to do some shopping. While I tended to shy away from such horrible activities I figured it was not only a good chance to get out of this place but also a chance to get to know the veteran vampire better as well.

So far I had only gotten close to Felix and that was only because we spent so much time together training, it also didn't hurt that he was an overall fun guy to be around. His jovial mood tended to be infectious and I would be remiss if I didn't say I enjoyed his good spirit.

I walked over to Heidi, suddenly feeling like the nervous geeky outcast who was approaching the popular girl in high school, "Hey Heidi, I heard you were going shopping later, would you mind if I tagged along?" I mentally berated myself for feeling so inadequate. (And congratulated myself for not stammering or rambling.)

In truth, I shouldn't have felt so awkward, especially not after word about how I technically saved Jane's life spread like wildfire. Before, I was the equivalent to a shadow on the wall; people knew I was there but they paid no real attention to me, but now, it seemed like they all had some newfound respect for me.

I didn't see what was so respect-worthy but I wasn't going to question it. If they wanted to think I was badass and gossip worthy, who was I to refute it?

Heidi offered me a genuine smile, "Sure, I'll meet you outside your room in five minutes."

"See you then," I smiled and walked off towards my room to change. It's not like we could sweat or anything but I doubted she would want to be seen in public with me in baggy sweatpants and a tank top. I grabbed the first top I found, paired it with some jeans and sneakers and waited for Heidi to show up.

While I waited, I cast a glance at myself in the mirror and wondered, not for the first time, if I should attempt to change the way I dressed.

My shopping had been done alone and reflected just that.

I was the kind of person, vampire or not, who dressed for comfort rather than looks. But looking at myself now, I wasn't sure if that was the case anymore. I could be wearing a loincloth and a coconut bra and still be comfortable so that reasoning didn't exactly make sense.

It wasn't a case of not having enough money either because working on the guard gave me quite a healthy bank account. To be honest, I had more money than I knew what to do with so that wasn't a good excuse either.

I was beautiful so it only made sense that I should dress accordingly; so why didn't I?

Any further analysis was put on hold by the appearance of Heidi. "Ready to go?" She asked in a tone that made me feel like I had just been caught doing something I shouldn't have.

If I'd been human, I'm sure I would have been several shades of red. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my cloak, "Lead the way."

On the off chance that I did makeover my wardrobe, I had certainly picked the right person for the job. Heidi was…well, she was breathtakingly beautiful, even by vampire standards. It was the reason that Aro loved her so much; she was the pied piper when it came to humans. Wherever she went, they willingly followed. I don't know if it was her statuesque figure, her mahogany hair, or her ability was just an unnatural level of beauty, but whatever it was, she seemed like the perfect person to help me.

Once outside, we walked around until we came to a small boutique Heidi seemed to love. "I always come here when I need to do some shopping. Enrico always puts the best stuff aside for me," she mentioned off handedly as we walked inside.

From the outside the store didn't look any different from the other buildings on the street but inside, inside it was huge. There were racks upon racks of blouses, dresses, pants, jeans, skirts and any other article of clothing a girl could want. The back portion of the store was designated specifically towards lingerie.

I was by no means a girlie girl but even I was in awe of the clothing in this store. I could definitely see why Heidi shopped here. "Wow," I breathed, "this place is amazing." My eyes continued to take in the apparel and the multitude of outfits available when a small Italian man in a crisp black pinstripe suit approached us.

He smiled broadly as he embraced Heidi, "I was wondering when you were going to show up," he laughed lightly as he looped his arm around hers.

Heidi smiled sheepishly, "Sorry about that, it's been pretty crazy at work."

The man nodded knowingly and finally turned towards me, "And who do we have here?" His eyes raked over my body, though it was far from sexual almost as if he were appraising me.

Just as I opened my mouth to respond, Heidi grabbed my arm with her free hand and yanked me towards her, "This is my friend from work, Bella. She's been thinking about getting some new clothes and I just knew this was the place for her." I stared at her with wide eyes as she grinned mischievously at me.

A sudden gleam entered the man's eyes, who I'm assuming was Enrico, as he released Heidi from his grip and started wandering the store, grabbing random articles of clothing.

When he was out of earshot I turned towards Heidi with a diffident grin on my face, "You're the first person who's called me Bella." I'm not sure why I felt the need to point that out or why it was noteworthy but that didn't negate the fact that it was true.

She offered me a full blown smile before dragging me further into the store, "Would you prefer I call you Isabella?"

"No!" I said quickly. "No, I prefer Bella. Isabella makes me feel like I'm an old lady or something." I paused for a moment before adding, "I'm actually not even sure why I pointed out that you're the first person to call me that."

Heidi grabbed a low-cut white dress off the rack and placed it in my hands as we walked down the aisle, "I don't think they know you prefer to be called Bella," she offered as she rifled through the clothes.

"Oh, they know. I'm pretty sure they do it on purpose. But I guess I should be glad they know my name at all," I said jokingly only to have Heidi stop her movements to turn and look at me.

"Trust me Bella, everyone knows who you are. You may not believe it but you're kind of a big deal. _Especially_ after everything that happened with Jane." Her tone as she said this made it clear that there was no question about my popularity or the reasons behind it. Not usually one to take people at their word about things like this, I couldn't help but believe her.

My head tilted to the side as I let that nugget of information sink in, "Seriously?" I don't know why but it surprised me that I could register as something interesting to these vampires. I mean, I was nothing spectacular so why would they take an interest in me? Some of them were centuries older than me and surely had seen things far more interesting than a newborn.

This was just like Forks all over again. I'd spent so much time in the shadows that I hadn't quite figured out that I was noteworthy. A sudden rush of pride swelled within me at the notion.

"Bella, you're hot stuff and the fact that you've got an ability that's so unique only makes you that much more interesting." She shrugged and started going through the clothes again, "Saving Jane's life doesn't hurt things either."

"Huh," was all I could think of to say. Honestly, the parallels between my time in Forks and my time here in Volterra were eerily similar.

"So, tell me a little about yourself. I'm curious to know who the mysterious Bella Swan is."

I rolled my eyes playfully as I dutifully held onto the clothes she continued to thrust into my hands. "Mysterious?" I snorted at that. "Hardly! There isn't much to tell, really. I was turned by some crazy vindictive vampire and I'm pretty sure my friend nearly killed me." My shoulders shrugged, "I didn't want to be the same person I was when I was human so I came here hoping to become someone else." I didn't think my story was too exciting but the way Heidi was looking at me made me think otherwise.

Or maybe there just wasn't a lot of gossip on the guard so my story appeared more interesting than it really was.

Heidi looked at me with a look of complete shock on her face, "Telling your story like that only makes you seem more mysterious; especially when you gloss over the good parts. If we're gonna do the whole 'bonding shopping trip'" she air quoted, "you're going to give me the whole story. Start from the beginning."

I stared at her incredulously, surprised by her sudden bossiness. Deciding it was in my best interest to obey, I launched into my story.

"I used to live in Arizona with my mother until I decided to come to Forks to live with my dad, Charlie. My mom remarried and I wanted to give her and Phil, her new husband, some time alone so I opted to live with Charlie.

"Forks was not a place I was looking forward to living in but I wanted my mom to be happy so I figured I would make do. Anyways, I got to do the whole new student, new school, fresh start thing. Since Forks is such a small town, it was no wonder that my first day there I was the talk of the town. Literally.

"I ended up falling for this guy. When I look back on the whole romance now, I can see how much of a lovesick idiot I was but back then, he was my whole world. His name was Edward and at first he was just this mysterious and handsome guy that no girl in the school could get close to.

"After much brooding on his part, we sort of fell into a relationship." I paused and tried to figure out the best way to proceed with the story. Deciding to just bite the bullet I pushed forward, "I guess it would be prudent for me to mention that he was a vampire. In fact, his whole family was."

Heidi's eyes bulged, widening comically and I couldn't help but laugh. "I take it you know who I'm talking about?" The Cullen's were a bit of a joke here and judging by her reaction, she knew exactly who I was talking about.

She gawked at me for a few more seconds before regaining her composure. "You were dating Edward _Cullen_?" She said his last name like it was something foul tasting in her mouth.

I chuckled at that before nodding. "The one and only."

She shook her head and waved her hand at me, signaling me to continue with the story.

I huffed but complied. "So we started to get pretty serious. I know I should have been bothered by the fact that he was a vampire but for some reason, it just didn't matter to me. Things were going pretty well until one day this tracker, James, caught my scent. He made tracking me down into some sick game."

I stopped there and held out my hand where his bite mark was, "James managed to get me alone and after breaking my leg and filming it, he bit me. I guess he figured that turning me would hurt Edward more than just killing me, which in a way I guess is true."

I stuffed my hands in my pocket, "Just after I was bitten, Edward and the rest of his family showed up and killed him."

Heidi looked at me, confusion marring her face. "So, this James guy changed you?"

I shook my head, "No, Edward didn't want me to become a vampire so he sucked the venom out before I was too far into the transformation."

Heidi nodded absently as she tossed more clothing my way.

"Umm, so I guess things went back to normal or as normal as a human/vampire relationship could get. Of course, that was until my birthday rolled around."

I placed a few things back on the rack before returning my attention back to Heidi.

"On my birthday I ended up getting a paper cut and because my blood was so potent and Jasper was still somewhat new to the diet, he ended up trying to attack me. Edward pushed me backwards and I crashed into some glass and started bleeding even more.

"After the incident with James, Edward was already hyper aware of how fragile I was, especially when you factor in how clumsy I was as a human, so the incident at my birthday just pushed him over the edge. A few days after that abysmal birthday party, he took me out to the woods near my house and broke up with me. He told me how he never loved me and never expected me to be more than a plaything.

"After he left, my bad luck continued to grow and then James' mate, Victoria showed up, intending to finish the game James had started. Just as she started to drain me, she was tackled by something and ripped apart. Since I had started to change I'm not really sure what it was but I know for certain that it was huge and definitely not human."

I shrugged as my fingers toyed with the hem of a shirt I was holding, "I think whatever it was, was planning on killing me once I finished my change. I recognized my friend, Jacob, talking to someone else in the distance. I guess they left me to finish the transition as they tried to figure out what they were going to do with me.

"I heard one of them say that they had no choice and were going to kill me. Jacob was against it but I got the feeling it was out of his hands so I ran. And seeing as how I had no idea what to do, and no interest in being a nomad, I came here."

I thought over what I had told her and nodded, pleased to have covered the more important details.

Just as Heidi was getting ready to say something, Enrico showed up with an armful of clothing for me to try on. He ushered me into a dressing room and added his overwhelming pile of clothes to my already huge stack.

I smiled weakly before trying them on. I guess another advantage to being a vampire is the ability to try clothes on quickly and effortlessly.

Fifteen long minutes later I grabbed my pile of clothes and brought them to the register to pay for them only having to had to put a few of them back. The outfits were a far cry from the t-shirts and jeans I wore but I looked sexy as Hell in them so I was more than willing to change my wardrobe.

It was as if the clouds had parted when realization dawned upon me. It suddenly made sense why Alice and Rosalie loved to shop so much. When you looked this good it was an injustice not to wear clothes that showed it off.

Just as I was signing the receipt, Heidi was dragging me towards the back section of the store. I smiled apologetically to the cashier before I realized that I was being taken to the lingerie part of the boutique.

"Uh, Heidi, what are you doing?" I dug my heels into the floor but it did no good as Heidi just dragged me harder.

"I'm helping you buy sexy lingerie. Duh." She said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and for her; I think it might have been.

"Why?" I squeaked as she handed me some skimpy blue lace panties and matching bra.

"What good is a makeover if you don't buy lingerie to complete the wardrobe?" The 'duh' in that question was implied.

I rolled my eyes but didn't say anything else. I figured it was pointless to object.

"Okay, so back to your story. I feel like you're leaving some things out." She held up her hand and started to tick things off, "Like, why come here and not go after Edward? I mean, you have to be pissed about everything he did, right? One day he's claiming to love you and the next he's dumping you and leaving you completely unprotected in an animal filled forest."

She didn't wait for a response as she continued to tick things off, "Then there's the fact that because he killed a vampires mate, she came back and exacted her revenge on you before you were unwillingly turned into a vampire. A creature your dear Edward so desperately wanted to keep you from becoming. Did I miss anything?" She fluttered her eyelashes innocently before grabbing more lingerie.

"Nope, you pretty much nailed it." I said bitterly, feeling the familiar bubble of anger building within me. "I would be lying if I said I wasn't pissed but I can't be completely angry he left me. I was…" I paused and tried to think of the right word to describe myself, "pathetic as a human. I was stuck in my own head and so desperate to be loved that I put up with Edwards controlling and manipulative behavior. If he hadn't broken my heart and left me, I would still be that person." I glanced down, "I'm not the person I want to be right now but I'm damn close. I had accepted who I was, but now? Now I feel like I'm finally the person I was meant to be. I see myself as someone beautiful, someone powerful," I looked back up and I could feel the fire burning behind my eyes and hear the conviction in my words, "someone worthy of being loved and not controlled or manipulated. I like what being a vampire's made me and I'll be damned if I let _Edward Cullen _take that away from me."

Heidi was silent for a long moment before a huge grin spread across her face and for some reason; I couldn't help but smile just as brightly back.

"Good." She picked up one last pair of panties before walking back to the registers, "You know, you've been dealt a pretty shitty hand but this new lifestyle suits you."

I smirked and nudged her, "I know, but thanks," she just giggled and snatched my credit card.

After that, the rest of our shopping trip was spent discussing much more upbeat topics. And by the time we got back to the castle, I had officially acquired a new friend.

The thought brought yet another genuine smile to my face. _Yes, being a vampire definitely suits me. _


	6. A Little Change Never Hurts

When I first arrived in Volterra I'd thought having such a huge closet in my room was a ridiculous notion but after spending an entire day shopping with Heidi, my closet space didn't seem like such a crazy thing anymore.

It might have also had something to do with the fact that before I left, my closet was somewhere around 90% empty and now it was about one shirt shy of exploding. The sad part was that my dresser drawers were just as bad, if not worse.

Looking at my closet, I stripped off my clothes, set one of my new outfits on my bed and hopped into the shower.

I wrapped my hair in a towel to dry and put on the matching satin blue panties and bra and slid into a pair of jeans tight enough to be considered a second skin. I grabbed the far too revealing blood red halter top and slipped it on, making sure to smooth out the non-existent wrinkles.

Looking down at my outfit, it definitely felt strange to be wearing such revealing clothing but I had to admit, I looked fantastic. I may not have been romantically interested in anyone here but that didn't mean I couldn't flaunt what nature and the venom coursing through my veins had given me.

Walking over to the mirror I quickly applied some eyeliner and mascara and left my hair to dry naturally, giving it a slightly wavy and tousled look.

One last glance at myself and I was positive I looked absolutely delicious. I would have never been caught dead in something this tight or revealing before but my inhibitions were gone and I was more than willing to embrace the creature I was.

Smiling fiendishly at my reflection I walked out of my room and headed towards the exit, pointedly ignoring the looks I was getting from everyone I passed.

It seemed that the vampires I passed were split between looking at me lustfully or disdainfully. Either way, I didn't care. I was dressed to draw in my prey and none of the vampires in this place were what I was planning on hunting.

Once outside, I roamed the streets, just basking in the moonlight. So far, the place seemed pretty desolate but I knew better. Walking down the paved street I could hear a drunken man shouting and catcalling at me. I sped up my walking a little, attempting to appear worried and frightened.

As expected, his hurried footsteps echoed behind me until I 'accidentally' wandered into a dead-end alley.

I whirled around, my eyes wide and frightened. The drunk stumbled towards me with a lecherous grin on his face, his hands twitching as they neared my face. "Hey baby," he slurred, his hands continuing to hover over my skin; almost as if he was afraid to touch me.

"Wh-what do you w-w-want," I stammered, willingly playing the frightened and weak woman he thought I was.

"Oh, you know what I want." He muttered, his booze ridden breath washing over my face. "You wouldn't be dressed this way if you didn't expect the attention," the drunk said angrily, his hands moving to pin my arms to the wall.

"P-p-please, just l-let m-me go," I pleaded, pushing my acting skills to the limit.

His hands tightened on my wrists as his lips moved towards my neck. Just before they made contact I flipped our positions and slammed him into the wall, "Tsk, tsk, tsk." I wrapped one hand around both of his wrists and waggled my finger in his face, "I didn't say it was okay to touch."

His eyes widened and I couldn't tell if it was from fear, arousal or a strange combination of both.

My free hand traced his stubble covered jaw and I smiled inwardly as his breath hitched. I moved my head so it hovered just beside his, my lips mere millimeters from his ear, "You know, I never saw the appeal of this act before but now that I'm doing it, I kinda understand it. The power rush is incredible," I husked, my voice oozing with lust.

The man made some absurd grunting noise and instinctively tilted his head to the side, exposing the length of his neck. "Now, this is only going to hurt for a moment," I whispered before sinking my teeth into the flesh of his neck and clamping my free hand firmly over his mouth to muffle his urgent screams.

I relished the feeling of his blood running down my throat and cooling the burning fire that would forever be present there. His body twitched as he registered what was happening but my body was pressed too tightly against him to really give him any leverage.

After a moment, the steady stream of blood slowly trickled to a stop and his body dropped to the ground as I wiped a single drop of blood from the corner of my mouth.

Looking down at his lifeless body I waited for the guilt to surge through me, but like all the times before, nothing came forward.

I didn't take joy in sadistically killing innocent people but I figured if these men were going to act like animals, they deserved to die like them too.

The disgust I had towards this pathetic excuse of a man was evident as I disposed of his body.

I could still see the allure of being a 'vegetarian' vampire but my actions and lack of remorse solidified my choice of food. Animal blood was for vampires who couldn't handle the guilt of taking a human's life; it gave them a chance to retain some semblance of their humanity.

Had I been turned under different circumstances, maybe that lifestyle would have appealed to me. Maybe, in some other universe there's a Bella Swan who only feeds on animals and hasn't willingly taken a person's life. But in this universe, I have no qualms killing another human being.

Maybe it's my new nature and instincts that are influencing my feeding preferences or it could just be that I have no problem ridding the world of scum; but I do know that the Bella Swan who obsessed over those things was long gone. My change and the events leading up to it had dictated how I lived my life and there was no changing it now.

Sighing at the sudden heaviness of my thoughts and the disappearing giddiness that usually accompanied a feed, I slowly made my way back to the castle.

As I got closer, I could hear the humans whining and whimpering as the vampires inside fed, but I paid it no attention. Deciding to forego yet another restless night there, I laid down on the grass.

Just as my eyes fluttered shut, I felt rather than saw someone approaching me. When they settled down next to me, so close our arms were almost touching, I cracked an eye open and glanced sideways at them.

I wish I could say I was shocked to see that it was Jane but for some extraordinarily strange reason, I knew it was her the moment I registered a presence near me.

This was just another thing to add to the ever growing list of things I had been noticing when I was around Jane. Her behavior around me and the resulting change in my behavior in response was infuriating. One day she's treating me like the gum on the bottom of her shoe, the next she's offering me a smirk, talking softly and genuinely and then in an instant she's ignoring me and blanching every time our eyes meet.

If I thought I could get away with it, I might try and strangle her for being so damn hot and cold. She's like something out of a Katy Perry song and it's something I'm just not equipped to handle.

"What are you doing?" She asked, her voice taking on that eerily soft tone it had when we were out on our assignment. '_Can you say whiplash?'_ I thought humorlessly as I made yet another parallel between her and Edward.

Keeping my eyes trained on the stars and moon above me, "Looking at the stars," I shrugged, "when you live forever you tend to run out of things to do fairly quickly."

Jane was quiet for a moment but all the while I could feel her eyes on me. It took everything in me not to acknowledge that I knew she was staring at me. Why I was afraid to look her in the eyes I don't really know, but I suspected it had everything to do with what I might see in them.

She sighed before turning her head to look at the stars. From the corner of my eye I could see her biting her lip, almost as if she wanted to say something but either didn't know what or was worried it would be taken the wrong way.

It was tough to keep from rolling my eyes at her strange behavior, especially considering she hadn't been so…hesitant around me before. What changed? Surely, whatever Marcus had told her hadn't been that terrible and life changing…could it? And if that was the case, it begged the question; what did it have to do with me?

"You get used to it after awhile," she muttered, her eyes still focused on the night sky above us.

I titled my head and looked at her, surprised to see how relaxed and open her face was. I idly congratulated myself for calling it correctly; she did look much prettier when she wasn't frowning or scowling.

"I believe it. I think I'm just still too new to everything." Even though my voice held conviction, in my head, I wasn't entirely sure I believed myself. I had seen how Edward acted, how alone he was. Living forever was a blessing in some ways but doing it alone seemed like a curse. It was one of the reasons I was so willing to change for him. He had been on his own for so long, looking desperately for the one person who would be his other half, it made me want to be that person for him.

Nothing else was said for awhile as we lay there, perfectly content to just star gaze in silence.

We stayed like that until the stars faded and the sun started to rise. Just as the sun hit the horizon I rose from my spot and dusted myself off. "I don't think I'll ever get used to how much sunshine there is here," I muttered, not really sure why I felt the need to divulge that tidbit of information.

"Why?" Jane asked, not moving from her spot on the ground.

"I think I got used to the clouds and rain back in Forks. Which doesn't make sense because I was only there for a short while," I mused before starting to walk back towards the castle entrance.

I was almost to the door when Jane's voice stopped me dead in my tracks. "I like the new look." Her voice was soft and her words completely sincere.

The words echoed in my head as my foot hovered over the threshold of the doorway. I could feel her eyes burning a hole into the back of my head and I was suddenly frozen under her stare.

A fog descended onto my brain as all coherent thought left my head and a sense of pride and joy swelled inside of me. Just as soon as the euphoria set in, it was quickly washed away. It left me feeling as if someone had just dumped a bucket of ice cold water on my body.

Shocked from my thoughts and feelings, I forced my body to straighten, "Thanks, I figured it was time for a change. Out with the old weak Bella, in with the new fierce one." The last part was said with a tinge of bitterness but was so concrete and resolute I couldn't help but smirk.

I didn't bother to look back and gauge Jane's reaction to my words, I just walked inside.

Jane was being weird. She was being _nice_.

I'd been here long enough to know that when it came to Jane and Alec, you stayed out of their way. They were known for their bellicose behavior; that especially applied to Jane. So why did she suddenly want to be nice to me?

Thinking about her and her strange and somewhat bipolar behavior was giving me a headache I didn't even know I could get.

"_**Ugh!**_" I shouted once I was in the confines of my room.

If this were the third grade, I'd have said she had a crush on me and was one day away from yanking on my hair and claiming that I have cooties. But this wasn't the third grade and I had no freakin' clue what her problem was.

What I did know, was that my plan to ignore her behavior wasn't all that feasible and if I were being totally honest with myself, ignoring her wasn't something I wanted to do. Something about her was drawing me in and I was content to just sit back and see where it would take me.

As I lay in bed, I could tell the answer to all of this was staring me straight in the face but was just out of arms reach. I knew, without a doubt though, that I would feel completely idiotic for not getting it sooner. I just didn't know what I was supposed to be seeing.

But I would wait and see where it all lead. I was done hiding from things and pretending they didn't exist. I was strong damn it and I would face this thing head on! Jane had better get ready because I was going to get to the bottom of this whether she likes it or not.

* * *

**Just a heads up for those who are waiting to see things progressing between Jane and Bella, it's going to start to pick up from this point on. **  
**Reviews and comments are always appreciated and thanks again to everyone who has been reading and following this story. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it as much as I am. **

**A new chapter(s) should be up by Wednesday at the latest.**


	7. A Small Step Forward

Shortly after I had retired to my room, I was summoned for a new assignment. Heaving myself off the bed I hastily walked towards the chambers.

I took my spot next to Jane and look at the two empty thrones beside Aro. With the number of times I had been in here, never once had it just been Aro. In fact, it was never 'just' anything; Marcus, Aro, and Caius were always there.

I forced my attention back to Aro who was resting his chin on his steeples hands. "It would appear we have some..." he paused and tilted his head ever so slightly, "troubling news." His eyes stared at us contemplatively, "I hate to send you back so soon but it appears the matters in Seattle have not been settled."

"More newborns?" I asked, excited at the prospect of getting out and doing something.

Aro simply nodded, "It would appear so. I want this dealt with, by whatever means necessary."

Jane and I both nodded before leaving, knowing that this job wouldn't be as simple as it seemed.

* * *

I twiddled my thumbs as we sat together on the plane; both of us seemed unsure of what exactly to talk about. Sitting next to her, basically trapped on a plane, I realized that my confidence and surety in getting her to open up to me, even a little, was fizzling away before my very eyes.

It felt cowardly to sit there in silence with the only movement being the twiddling of thumbs. If I thought my cowardice was sad, the fact that I was literally twiddling my thumbs was just downright depressing.

Mental pep talks were basically moot seeing as how I had no idea where to start a conversation. I had resigned myself to following Jane's lead but it was painfully clear that if this whole thing was left up to Jane it would take about a hundred years for me to finally figure out what was going on in that complicated and overly angsty head of hers.

Of course, that meant I had to be willing to push and really, that's where the problems started to become more pronounced. I had been told before that I was stubborn and while many considered that a bad and annoying trait, I valued it. That was one of the few things that managed to carry itself over after my transformation.

So, looking at Jane, (who was concentrating, perhaps a bit too hard, on the back of the seat in front of her) I was tempted to use my bullheadedness to move things along.

The plan I made up in my head was flawless, as are most of the plans I make up in my head.

And, cue the second problem.

Whenever someone makes a plan in their head; especially if it seems completely flawless and foolproof, it's like asking fate and the universe to screw it up. I had that nagging feeling that no matter how great the conversation topics sounded in my head, they wouldn't be all that great once they were said out loud.

My thumbs quickly ceased their movement as I shoved my thumb into my mouth and promptly chomped down on my nail.

If I had enough information on things, I could probably come up with a better plan, preferably one that didn't start off with; 'step 1: talk to Jane.' Even _I_ couldn't deny how abysmally pathetic that first step sounded.

But I knew enough about Jane's mannerisms as of late to see that whatever she had discovered tended to make her skittish around me. And when she felt corned she pushed and she pushed hard. I also knew that she was just as stubborn, if not more so, than me and if we both pushed it was not going to be a pretty sight. Which brought me back to problem one; stubbornness, on either of our parts was a very big (and potentially impossible) hurdle to overcome.

I wish I could go back to ignoring everything but every time my cowardly brain brought that thought to the forefront of my mind I was assaulted by the images of Jane's face when we were lying on the ground outside. Picturing how open and inviting her face had been that night made me curse her for being so damn complicated.

Suddenly, I found myself feeling bad for the men of the world. I thought girls and women alike were fairly simple, I know when I was alive and breathing things seemed so much more black and white, but being around Jane made me see how ridiculously complicated females were.

I continued to nervously gnaw on my thumbnail, all the while chastising myself for being the anxious and nervous one when those feelings should have been plaguing Jane. '_Damn her and her years of emotional control_' I growled temperamentally in my head, hating how being a newborn made me feel like I was stuck in a perpetual loop of PMS mood swings.

"What's the plan once we land?" I spewed, screaming at my worthless brain for not syncing itself with my mouth; allowing any old thing to be said. Technically, it wasn't a bad conversation starter but I hadn't meant for it to be said at all.

Jane stopped glaring at the seat in front of her and looked at me, curiosity swimming in her crimson colored eyes.

"We'll canvas the area and hope we get lucky and find the newborns. If we can't find any then we'll just have to wait around until they show up." She frowned for a moment and I could tell it was from the possibility of having to wait around for something to happen. Neither of us seemed to be very good at patience.

"They gotta eat some time, right?" I asked, hoping to keep the chitchat going, even if it revolved solely around newborn vampires and this assignment. Though, I could have picked a better thing to say instead of 'they gotta eat some time.' My God, I was terrible at chit chat.

Jane smirked and a dangerous glint shimmered in her eyes, "Yes, yes they do." I knew that look, it was the look that said 'I'm going to kill you and enjoy every last second of it' and if those newborns weren't worried before, they would be once they saw _that_ look.

Maybe this is why we made such good partners on assignments like this. Neither of us minded getting our hands dirty. In fact, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say we enjoyed it. Okay, we probably (re: definitely) enjoyed it too much. Though we could hardly be held at fault for feeling like that, fighting was an adrenaline rush and based on our first encounter in Seattle, Jane and I were both junkies on the stuff.

So, that glint in Jane's eye made perfect sense to me, just like I'm sure the one that was surfacing in my eyes made sense to her too.

Now that I think about it, Jane and I seemed to fit in a lot of ways.

To say I was shocked to have reached this conclusion would have been an understatement. My mind started to make connections and draw conclusions so quickly it left my head spinning. As much as I wanted to backpedal and stop the thoughts running rampant in my head, I couldn't.

"You lived near Seattle, right?" Jane suddenly asked; her voice drawing me from the torrent of things running through my mind. I was so thankful for the distraction I nearly leaned over and kissed her in appreciation.

"Uh, yeah. I used to live with my dad, Charlie, in Forks. Since the town was so small, most of us ended up taking trips to either Port Angeles or Seattle to get clothes and things."

She turned and looked at me, her eyes full of curiosity and questions. "Do you miss it?"

I thought about it for a moment, "Being human or living in Forks?" I finally asked.

"Both I guess." Her eyes locked with mine, almost as if she was trying to memorize everything about my answer, from my words down to my facial expressions.

Titling my head, I broke off eye contact, unable to maintain the serious look. "I don't really miss being human. I mean, I miss certain parts of it, like sleeping or being able to go out in sunlight without worrying about looking like a disco ball but it's not enough to make me want to be human again." I glanced back at her, "I was klutzy as a human, prone to excessive blushing and more often than not, uncomfortable and awkward in my own skin. I'd gladly give up sleep and walking around in the sunlight if it meant I could get rid of those things."

She didn't look all that convinced so I added, "I _really_ don't miss tripping all the time. God, I hated that. I was one of those people who managed to trip on air. I have the medical records to prove it, too." I laughed at the memories, recalling a handful of the times I tripped simply walking up the stairs, going to the car, walking through the doorway. It's a wonder I survived as long as I did.

Jane cracked a smile at the image presented to her, "As for missing Forks; not really. I mean, sometimes I really miss Charlie but we weren't all that close so I guess it makes it easier to just ignore that aspect of my life." Shrugging, I looked out the plane window, "I love what I am too much to get bogged down by the people I can't see anymore or the places I can no longer go."

Jane nodded, "I can understand that." Her eyes skittered away as she went back to looking at the seat in front of her, though she was no longer glaring at it. "Aro gave me and my brother a chance at a real life. We were both more than willing to give up our lives if it meant having a place where we belonged. Vampire life suited us more than our human ones."

Hearing her speak so freely about her past had me torn between triumph, elation and sorrow. I understood all too well the need to welcome a chance at a new life, but I'm sure my need paled in comparison to hers. And to hear her speak so highly of Aro, it suddenly made sense why she was so allegiant to him and his brothers.

"Do you remember much about your human life?" I asked, knowing I was pushing the boundaries but hoping beyond reason that she would continue to share.

I bit my lip as I studied her face, watching the many emotions that flickered over it. Ten seconds passed, then thirty, then a minute, then two, three, four, and just when I thought I had pushed my luck too far, I started to turn and face forward. I was mid motion when her bell-like voice stopped my movement immediately.

While she never looked directly at me, I could see her watching me from the corner of her eyes every so often. "I don't remember my time in our village very well; sometimes I get flashes of memories, other times it's like being assaulted by them." I watched her hands tighten, her nails digging into the armrests. "Alec and I were born in a completely different time," her eyes glazed over; no doubt the result of a memory flashing through her mind.

"Even when we were human, we were different. Our powers weren't anywhere near as strong as they are now, but they were strong enough for people to notice. When they were rude to our family, bad things tended to happen to them; it was involuntary on our part, at least on a conscious level it was." She told her story with such distance it was almost frightening. Her voice wasn't cold or laced in malice but it certainly wasn't warm, it was devoid of emotion and almost clinical.

"The people in our village feared us and accused us of being _witches_." A distinct crack of plastic could be heard as she spit out the word 'witches' and I could only assume she had crushed the armrest to smithereens. "No matter how much times passes, I can still remember that night clear as day."

Her voice lowered and her eyes slid shut, like that night was replaying like a movie behind her eyelids. "I remember being in bed and hearing the shouting. Despite my being minutes older than Alec, I looked to him for some sort of reassurance, hoping that the angry villagers weren't coming for us but I knew better. We had been accused of witchcraft and back then, no one escaped charges like those."

Jane sat there quietly for a moment, trying and failing to hide the tumultuous emotions erupting through her; it was plain to see what this retelling of events was doing to her emotionally. I opened my mouth to tell her to stop; that she didn't need to say anymore, but she started talking again and I was loath to interrupt her.

"The men of our village stormed into our home and tore me and Alec from our beds. No matter how much we struggled, they maintained their grip on us. They stood us before everyone and tied us to a stake, putting us on display. It was a way to let everyone know what we were, what they thought we were. Evil."

Her voice lowered even more and a dark look descended upon her angel like face, twisting it into something demonic. "I remember watching helplessly as they brought the torch to the stake. I remember with absolute clarity as the fire spread from the ground up and slowly devoured my flesh. The pain…" her voice hitched and her eyes suddenly snapped open. Her crimson eyes met mine with unwavering determination, "the pain was unbearable. I remember screaming for someone, anyone, to help me. Even as the fear of my impending painful death sunk in, I still felt an overwhelming hatred for the people in that village." Her eyes we angry and hard but I could see just a hint of pleading in them. Her eyes begging me to understand how she could hate them so much for what they did to her.

My eyes softened but hearing about her last moments alive made me want tear those people apart. Her anguish made my beast howl in outrage and demand retribution. Just as the fury churned in my stomach and my vision bled red, a soft hand settled on top of my curled fists.

I looked down at her hand on top of mine, my eyes wide and questioning until her soft humorless chuckle made my eye snap up. In those blood red eyes was understanding, amusement and something else… Something familiar.

"Just before the flames consumed me, I was saved. Aro had arrived just in time to save Alec and me, in the process, killing everyone there. I didn't find out until later but he had heard about us from a nomad. He would have turned us sooner but the rules about immortal children were very clear. So when he heard about what was going to happen to us, he rushed over and turned us." Her voice softened and her hand lightly squeezed mine, "I owe Aro my life, it's why I would be willing serve him until the end of eternity. He gave Alec and me a chance at a life that we were truly destined for."

Unclenching my hand and turning it upward I intertwined our fingers, giving Jane whatever reassurance and comfort I could. With her hand in mine, I couldn't quite explain the sensation it evoked, it was almost as if my skin were tingling wherever our skin met.

"Do you miss working with Alec?" Seeing her talking about Aro and her brother made me feel slightly guilty that I was undercutting their relationship. Everyone knew how close the two siblings were and hearing about everything they had gone through sent a wave of guilt crashing down on me. I didn't want to be the reason they grew apart, it was hardly Jane's fault she had been saddled with the newborn on the guard.

Jane smirked and shook her head, "I've spent my entire existence with him; I could use the break."

Nodding absently I returned my gaze to the clouds outside. For the remainder of the flight, our hands remained locked together, though I'm not sure why. Holding hands for a few moments provided comfort, holding hands for a few hours was something else entirely. What that was exactly, I had no idea. All I knew was that it felt right, definitely strange, but right.

As the plane landed, our hands separated and the air of serenity that had enveloped us quickly morphed into something else.

That was essentially the epitome of our relationship…If you could even call our interactions, whether it be during assignments or in our free time, a relationship. No words could really describe what we were to each other.

Our emotions and feelings towards one another had a tendency to change at will. One moment we could be talking calmly, the next we're at each other's throats and then in a split second she's smirking at me and I'm fighting off the need to burst with laughter. I hated and loved how unpredictable things were. It was damning and refreshing, fun and disastrous; all encompassing and deadly, much like Jane.

* * *

We walked in tense silence through Seattle; though I suspected the tense atmosphere was more a result of the impending fight rather than our talk on the plane.

The sun was sinking below the horizon as we navigated the sparsely populated streets, our ears straining to pick up any clues or indicators of vampires nearby. Our noses delicately sampled the air, seeking out that often too sweet smell that seemed to underlie every vampires scent.

Scouring the city provided no new information, no vampires, no trouble; there was nothing out of the ordinary and it had both of us on edge.

Sighing in annoyance and barely restrained exasperation, we perched on top of a nearby building and just waited. If there were any newborns still in the area then they would eventually show up here to feed. I didn't think any of them would be smart enough to avoid the one place they got their asses beat last time, they were too focused on the next meal and Seattle happened to have quite a large supply. It was really only a matter of time before one showed up.

Surveying the area was a boring task but it was a necessity.

I hated how quickly time would pass when you were busy doing something worthwhile but the second something boring, repetitive or generally unpleasant rolled around, time seemed to come to a screeching halt.

The hours crawled by as we sat perched on the roof, our eyes constantly examining the streets below us.

Some time around midnight, we heard two people scuffling and then a muffled scream. With nothing more to go on, we waited for a minute before the distinct sound of bone snapping could be heard. Together, we jumped down from the building and ran down the street. Halfway down the block the faint smell of a vampire assaulted our noses and we were instantly on its trail.

It led us to an abandoned two story factory building. Standing outside, we could hear someone mumbling into a phone, "_Calm the fuck down! I just finished. I'll be back there in, like, five minutes, tops. I gotta get rid of this body….And if the cops find it, what then?...Dude, this is why he put me in charge of shit like this and not you. Just shut up and wait for me."_

The _click_ of his call being ended was all we needed as we stormed into the place. He was definitely a vampire and the moment Jane and I stepped through the door, he was getting ready to bolt.

His red eyes widened as his pale while hand ran through his messy black hair. I don't know what made him think he could escape us, but he did, and he failed miserably in his attempt at it. Jane and I watched with unrestrained humor as he whirled around and tried to leap out a dusty and cracked window.

I stood rooted to my spot, sporting a devilish smile that mirrored Jane's exactly as the vampire leapt into the air and headed straight for the window. It was as if everything slowed down as he sailed through the air, a triumphant grin on his face as he neared the window and realized we weren't anywhere near him.

It was a sad and entirely amusing fact that we didn't need to be anywhere near him to stop him. I glanced at Jane and saw her eyes crinkle in delight. As his body closed in on the window, his head mere inches from freedom, an ear shattering, heart stopping, and blood curdling scream echoed off the empty and filthy walls.

The newborn dropped to the ground, almost as if his scream alone had caused gravity and motion to abandon him. One second he was sailing for that window, the next he was screaming in agony on the floor; his body writhing in pain as nonexistent flames licked at his flesh and insides. Or, at least that's what I assumed it felt like. I had asked others what it felt like and was told it was akin to having every molecule of your being set on fire; an agonizing pain that was almost as bad as the pain of being turned.

Together, Jane and I approached the writhing vampire, our sadistic smiles still firmly in place.

My hands pulled the newborns arms back and held them firmly behind his back and he was jerked onto his knees, forced to kneel before Jane as she continued to pain upon him.

His body continued to spasm as I held him down until a simple nod from me and a reluctant nod from Jane in return had his body slumping.

She moved with liquid grace around his slumped figure, her posture indicative of the lion circling the wounded gazelle. "How many of you are there?"

The newborn struggled feebly, probably assuming his power would outmatch mine; he couldn't have been more wrong.

"How many of you are there?" Jane asked again, her eyes narrowed into slits, her fists clenching in obvious irritation.

I could hardly blame her for that reaction. We had spent the better part of our day waiting for something to do and now that we finally got our wish, the newborn wasn't even talking.

Suddenly, a frightful smirk appeared on Jane and the newborn was writhing in pain again, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as he screamed and howled in pain.

"I suggest you answer her questions. It'll only get worse the more you piss her off." I whispered playfully in his ear, his screams increasing in volume.

"T-twe-twenty!" I tightened my hold and waited for Jane to ask her next question.

"Who created you and why?" Jane asked with only mild curiosity.

The newborn slumped forward, his hair obscuring his face. "I don't know his name. He just told me to create an army so we could destroy the Cullens."

Jane and I exchanged a look, knowing that Aro would hate the idea of someone trying to destroy one of his favorite covens.

Jane feigned disinterest as she pretended to examine her nails and I had to stifle a laugh at the image. "Where are they?" Jane asked, her voice sounding monotone, her eyes never straying from her perfectly manicured nails.

"In the forest, just two miles north of here." Jane and I exchanged another look before I shook my head, silently communicating that I didn't think he was telling the truth.

Jane arched her eyebrow but said nothing more, giving no other indication that she understood what I was trying to convey. And if I doubted that she understood what I had been trying to say, it was gone in the millisecond that the newborn started to scream in pain.

"Tell us the truth!" I growled in his ear, already growing tired of the interrogation.

His body bucked wildly and his head flew back as more screams echoed through the empty warehouse. "Tell us!" I growled again, my teeth biting into the flesh of his shoulder, deliberately adding to the pain Jane was inflicting upon him.

"They're in…th-they're in a c-ca-cabin to the w-west," he screamed as his head flopped around uselessly.

I shrugged and dropped his body to the ground, "Even if he's lying, his scent is probably still strong enough for us to follow." Pulling out his phone to check the time, "We need to figure out what we're going to do soon though, his friend will notice when he doesn't show up."

Before I could comprehend what was happening, Jane was blurring over to the vampire and dismembering his body with savage precision. She dropped a burning match on the body along with the human he had drained only moments before we arrived.

Without another word she started for the door with me following behind her wordlessly.

Following the scent, and going in the general direction the newborn had said, we easily found the cabin he had described. Making sure to stand downwind, we both stood just behind the tree line, listening to the vampires inside screaming at one another.

I didn't need to be an empath to know they were all riled up and probably hungry. Both of those would work in our favor when we surrounded them, not that it was necessary with Jane here.

Actually, being here with Jane was a bit intimidating. I knew what her power was capable of and had seen firsthand how it could easily reduce one of the strongest vampires around to a sniveling wimp. It wasn't just intimidating to be around a vampire who could do such profound damage with nothing but a simple look but it was also a little vexatious to feel so completely useless in a battle.

Sure, I had been able to help her before, but I wasn't deluded enough to think that would be happening again any time in the foreseeable future.

While I'm more than confident in my ability to fight and hold my own, it seemed crazy to think I wouldn't feel at least a little inadequate when Jane would inevitably take down half of the vampires like it was nothing, while I struggled to wipe out the remainders using only hand-to-hand combat.

I mean, I wasn't angry or holding any sort of ill will towards her, but it seemed like this looming battle made it very clear that Jane and I were not well suited for each other in combat. And for some inexplicable reason, that train of thought left my stomach churning.

Thinking of Jane and Alec together on the battlefield, simultaneously disabling dozens of vampires like it was nothing had my fists clenching and my teeth grinding.

Determination settled into my every pore and the outcome of this impending fight was set in stone. I may not have the power that Jane had but I was strong enough to hold my own and I would be damned if I let anyone second guess that, even if the person doubting me was myself.

While Jane used her ability to disable I would prove that my strength alone was good enough.

I'm not entirely sure why I felt I needed to prove something, but I knew no matter what, I was going to prove it.

With that, I tuned back into the fighting and ruckus that was taking place in the soon-to-be demolished cabin. The vampires were breaking things and from the sounds of it, slamming each other into whatever they could.

Had I not had Felix as an outlet for my turbulent emotions, I'm sure I would have demolished some of the rooms back in Volterra just like these newborns were doing.

"Do you think their creator is inside?" I whispered, my eyes never leaving the spacious cabin before us.

"I don't know." Her response was curt and I could tell that observing rather than acting was putting her even more on edge.

"If he is, then he has no control over them. If he isn't, then it would explain why they're out of control and haven't even noticed the other one hasn't returned." I was thinking out loud, trying to figure out what our best plan of attack would be. If we attacked now, it wouldn't do us very good seeing as how their creator would still be on the loose. If we waited, we would exponentially increase the odds that the others would notice one of their own had gone missing.

Luckily, the decision was made for us when the sound of a door being yanked open then slammed shut reverberated through the dense forest.

"_Hello, my pets._" A heavily accented French voice growled and the cabin suddenly went deathly quiet.

That voice replayed over and over again in my head, sounding far too familiar for my liking. '_Hello, my pets,_' it repeated, the words morphing, the accent repeating on an infinite loop as it tried to dislodge the buried memory deep within my brain.

My body locked up as my hands curled into fists, my jaw clenched with unimaginable strength as it silenced the rumbling growl that built from my very core.

The words rang out in my head as the memory was unearthed.

I definitely recognized that voice and now I knew from exactly where I remembered it from.

* * *

**New chapter will be up by Friday. **


	8. Unforeseen Events

That voice, I knew who that voice belonged to. No matter how muddled and fuzzy my human memories were, I couldn't forget that voice just like I would never be able to forget James or Victoria's. It was Laurent.

I thought that part of my life was behind me, that I could forget everything that group of monsters had put me through; but I couldn't have been more wrong.

Jane noticed my reaction and cocked an eyebrow, "What is it?"

"I know who the leader is. His name is Laurent." The second my voice hit my own ears I noticed how lifeless and monotone it sounded. My mind was swimming and my stomach was knotting until everything just stopped. My emotions had been going haywire, leaning more towards the spectrum of anger than anything else, but just as they hit their peak, it all disappeared.

It felt like a switch had been flipped and my raging emotions were suddenly gone. My body felt empty and my mind was eerily calm and clear. I knew shutting down like this was without a doubt a bad thing but I would take anything over the storm that had been brewing inside of me.

If Jane had noticed the change in my mood and behavior (which I suspected she did), she didn't say anything about it.

Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly and her fists clenched together, "How do you know this vampire?" From her reaction I couldn't help but wonder if she thought I had something to do with it; that I had somehow known about his plans.

I pushed that line of thinking out of my mind and focused on the task at hand.

"He was part of a coven that had attacked me when I was human. James, a tracker, attacked me when I was human. The Cullens found me and destroyed him." I paused, not particularly enjoying the retelling of this story, "The other member, Victoria, who also happened to be James's mate attacked me in the forest after the Cullens left Forks. She was the one who turned me before she was killed."

I stared at the cabin, "I didn't think he would care that they died. He was the one who told us about James, after all. I thought he was up in Alaska or something trying to become an animal drinker." Turning, I looked at Jane, "My only guess is that he's trying to avenge Victoria, but I don't see why, considering he left them both behind."

Jane stared at me for a long moment, her eyes boring into mine. "It doesn't matter. We'll take care of this and it'll all be done with." Her voice was as hard as her eyes but her words were meant to be reassuring. I just wished I could believe it.

Just like the saying, the best laid plans of mice and men...

There was no amount of reassurance that would make me believe things would end here tonight, I knew better than to believe that.

They were like roaches, whenever one of them died, another would show up. James died and then Victoria popped up. Victoria died and now Laurent had popped up. I could only imagine who would show up once Laurent was dead and gone.

I didn't say anything. I couldn't. I just nodded and hoped that would be enough to get Jane to drop the subject and continue with the plan. Laurent being involved didn't change anything.

At least that's what I told myself.

I guess Jane took the hint because she didn't offer anything else.

"Our best option would be to just ambush them. I mean, they're already congregated inside the cabin and with your power, it'll be easy to keep them from escaping." I looked to see what she thought.

"Fine." She didn't say anything else; she just started towards the cabin.

I rolled my eyes at her suddenly terse attitude but didn't say anything. Everything leading up to this moment had pretty much been adding to her frustrations and I couldn't really blame her. We weren't meant for inactivity.

When we stormed into the cabin, I noticed immediately that Laurent wasn't there.

I didn't see how he could have left without us hearing him but I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had been there.

Jane didn't seem to hesitate as she got to work incapacitating the newborns.

My mind was reeling as my body absently took care of the vampires writhing on the ground, their screams even more pronounced in the quiet atmosphere.

Just as I separated one of the newborns heads, I heard it.

"Isabella! My, my, what a delicious surprise." his voice sounded so loud in my ears and had the hairs on my neck standing straight up.

I shot out of the cabin as my eyes desperately roamed the forest. "You smell just as divine as you did when you were human," I heard the deep inhale and the quiet moan. "And you look absolutely breathtaking." There was a deep chuckle from the left and I whirled around to look but I saw nothing.

I growled in irritation, feeling like a caged rat. "What the Hell do you want Laurent?" I shouted into the forest.

"Nothing too complicated chérie, just the comfort of knowing you and the Cullens are dead." All the humor that had been present in his voice a moment ago was completely gone and I couldn't help the sinking feeling that was making itself known in my stomach.

"Why?" I asked, the words coming out in an angry growl. I hated how just his voice alone conjured up some of the worst moments of my life, only serving to remind me of the many things I had tried and failed to forget.

"For Victoria." Two words. That was all he said but it was enough of an explanation.

He wanted revenge and just like his previous coven mates, he wouldn't stop until he got it or his death kept him from it.

I took off into the tree line, fury blinding my logic as I searched desperately for him. Needing to find him and destroy him, to be able to close this book and move on.

I ran in circles, tracing his scent until it split off in three different directions.

I was furious.

Knowing he had slipped through my fingers was something I just couldn't handle.

I flashed back over to the cabin and saw Jane looking at me, torn between anger and pity. I could handle the anger but not the pity. I didn't want it nor did I need it.

I took care of the remaining vampires and stormed out of the cabin; suddenly needing the fresh air.

Jane continued to stare silently at me, her eyes never straying far from mine. It was almost as if she were afraid I would snap and go on a rampage; like I was a ticking time bomb.

In reality, that wasn't too far off base. My emotions were going haywire again and while I had a great deal of strength over my emotions and thirst, I wasn't immune to the pull of either. I could keep things in check but that became more and more of an impossibility the further things got out of hand.

Outwardly, I forced myself to look calm and relaxed, I wouldn't have Jane knowing just how close to the edge I was right now. How far lost I was feeling. I wouldn't show anyone, let alone her, how weak I was; how I was at the mercy of my emotions.

'_Pathetic._' I thought with all the disdain I could muster.

So on the outside, I strode with purpose and pretended like all was well. On the inside, I was a ball of fury that was seconds away from exploding.

Jane looked like she didn't believe the mask that I had slipped onto my face, but I couldn't care less.

I was shaken to my very core, and no matter how hard I tried to get the voice echoing inside of my head out, I couldn't. His words rattled around like loose change and I was helpless to do anything about it.

'_For Victoria,_' '_until the Cullens and you are dead_,' Laurent's voice whispered knowingly in my ear, his voice sending shivers down my spine.

I listened to the words, replaying them, listening for something I had missed. I was harping, I was obsessing, and yet I couldn't stop myself. I was looking for the message hidden in the words, hoping that what he said was a scare tactic. That there was an ulterior motive afoot.

I was grasping at straws and I knew it.

I knew why I didn't want his words to be true.

I knew exactly why those words had sent me reeling more than a full frontal attack.

I wasn't ready to face the Cullens and that was exactly what those words meant. I couldn't care less that he was out on some twisted mission to avenge Victoria or why he was targeting me when I had done nothing to get her killed.

The thought of seeing the Cullens so soon after everything that happened just a little while ago had my skin crawling and my blood boiling.

My jaw clenched and my nails dug into the palm of my hand as Jane and I boarded the plane that would take us back to Volterra and undoubtedly, back to Cullens.

* * *

Once on the plane, we sat together but I didn't fail to notice that Jane looked just as tense as I felt. Not to mention that she continued to shoot sly looks my way, which only served to add to my ever-growing agitation. Albeit, misdirected agitation, but it was growing nonetheless.

My arms crossed my chest as I glared out the window, feeling more and more like a petulant child, wishing I could force the anger from my system.

"What is your problem?" Jane hissed, her words drawing my eyes from the window and my thoughts from their murky depths.

"Nothing," I said angrily, my glare now focused solely on her.

"Then why do you look like you're about to throw a temper tantrum?" Her voice was angry and forceful, her eyes glaring at me just as fiercely as mine were at her.

"Mind your own damn business." I growled, glad to have a target to vent at but knowing it was stupid, not to mention childish, to do that to Jane.

"Why?" She asked in a challenging tone, already poised for a fight. Had I been more aware of things, I would have realized she was goading me, but I was too wrapped up in myself to really take notice.

"Because it doesn't concern you. We aren't friends, we aren't buddies, we aren't pals; we're nothing. We work together. Nothing more, nothing less." The words flew angrily from my mouth and while Jane showed no signs of it having affected her, I knew it did. I knew my words would hurt her and I said them anyway, and just like that, I felt deflated.

My shoulders slumped and my head bowed, the anger that had been bubbling beneath the surface gave way to guilt. It was like emotional whiplash and I just sat there, unable to do a damn thing about it.

I sighed and rubbed my fingers against my temple, "I'm…I'm sorry about that Jane." I mumbled, genuinely feeling sorry.

"Why should you be? You're right," she sounded just as deflated as I felt and it was like a blow to the chest. Hearing her admit that, it just didn't sit right with me.

"I'm not right. I'm just pissed off and taking it out on you."

Jane lifted a perfect sculpted eyebrow and smirked, "While that's true, you weren't wrong about the other thing. We aren't anything more than coworkers. We spent more time glaring at each other than anything else." Despite the smirk, she didn't seem too pleased to be admitting that last part.

I snorted in amusement at that, "That's mostly your fault." I hoped that my comment wouldn't be taken the wrong way, but at least it served as a decent segue.

Her eyes widened and I couldn't help but laugh; knowing full well that it was her strange behavior that derailed any sense of friendship. I wasn't going to outright say that, but we both knew it was true.

She huffed indignantly but didn't argue and I smirked in satisfaction. "Uh-huh," I added smugly, basking in the feeling of being right.

Jane crossed her arms across her chest and glared at the seat in front of her, "It's not my fault."

She looked absolutely adorable, especially since she was pouting like a child who just had her favorite toy taken away. '_Wait…adorable?_'

I shrugged off the thought, unwilling to delve too deeply into things.

"And how is it not your fault?" I asked, amusement still lacing my every word.

"I don't do this." She growled lowly, sounding angrier at herself than at me.

I could understand her frustrations; it was pretty obvious she wasn't used to forging relationships with others. It only took five minutes on the Volturi guard to figure out that Jane didn't really associate with anyone other than Alec.

I shrugged, trying to show that it didn't bother me, "I understand."

Jane just shook her head, "I want," she stopped herself and took a second to think over her words, "I don't want to _just_ be coworkers." She nodded, as if to solidify her words.

I didn't really know how to respond to that. The thought of being just coworkers with her seemed unpleasant and definitely unnatural. I didn't really understand why but after seeing a glimpse of the Jane no one else got to see, I would take what I could get.

And I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a little addictive being the only person (besides Alec and Aro) who got to see this softer side of her.

Deciding to push the envelope, I hedged for more information. "What _do_ you want?" I knew that was a loaded question and there was a possibility I wouldn't like the answer I got, but I needed to know.

Jane looked at me with a strangled look, "I…like…you." The words were separated by pauses, almost like someone was forcibly pulling the words from her mouth. Had I not found the way she said it so interesting I might have registered what she said sooner.

But when it did hit me, and boy did it hit me hard, I was pretty much left speechless.

I had effectively opened a can of worms that I could in no way close again. But I did know that I couldn't reject her, not when I forced her to open up like this.

"What do you want?" I asked again, somewhat avoiding her declaration but still intent on getting an answer.

"I want to be," her eyes skittered away, a sudden shyness creeping across her features. This was something I was not used to seeing. "I want to be more than coworkers." She repeated, somewhat stronger than she had started; sounding like she was trying to convince herself more than me. "More than friends." She whispered so low I barely caught it.

My mind was spinning. If her telling me she liked me threw me for a loop, then that…well, it had just blown my mind.

Jane wanted to be more than friends. Oh God.

She wanted to be more than friends…with me.

She liked me.

Pieces of the puzzle suddenly started dropping into place. They scrambled and rearranged themselves, forming a picture I hadn't allowed myself to acknowledge, let alone see.

The looks.

The avoidance.

The push and pull.

Everything.

Oh God.

I knew my eyes must have been the size of saucers and I could tell Jane was braced for rejection. She could see the blocks falling into place and yet she just stared at me, waiting. Waiting for what? Rejection? An answer? Acknowledgement that I felt the same way? A reaction to clue her in on how I was taking this?

The specifics didn't matter because I was obviously failing on all fronts.

I didn't know if I felt the same way about Jane that she felt about me but I knew enough to openly acknowledge that I liked her too. Maybe it wasn't the same kind of 'like' but it was there and I sure as Hell wasn't about to deny it.

When it came to vampires, denying things usually didn't end well for either party.

"I like you too," I said slowly, hesitantly; making sure to choose my words carefully. "But maybe we should take this…slow." My eyes studied her face, looking for any sign that my answer was taken the wrong way, but it wasn't.

Her lips pulled up at the sides and she nodded, "I'd like that."

I offered a small smile in return before looking out the window.

Jane seemed happy (or at least happier than usual) to have this weight lifted off her shoulders. It was obvious she had known about these feelings much longer than I had and now that she had put it out there, she was burden free.

Unfortunately, the burden didn't disappear, it just shifted shoulders. More specifically, my shoulders.

I couldn't deny that I was happy to hear she liked me; actually, I was thrilled. But she was centuries old and had had a considerably longer time to come to terms with her feelings. Being alone for so long meant that you were open to the possibilities of falling for anyone, whether it be a man or woman, someone older or someone younger, an animal drinker or a human drinker, the specifics didn't matter.

I wasn't quite that old or that open.

I had just barely gotten over Edward leaving me. I had thought I was over everything that happened with Victoria but based on my reaction to Laurent, I couldn't really claim to be over it anymore.

Looking at the reflection of Jane in the window, I couldn't help but wonder if we were a good fit. Our personalities clashed, she tended to be more brash than me, she was power hungry, and that didn't even put into account how emotionally stunted she seemed to be.

I inwardly sighed, all of that seemed to pale in comparison to the fact that she was a woman. I had nothing against that but it was certainly…different.

Everything about this was new to me.

It made me feel out of control. I didn't like that feeling.

My shoulders slumped, feeling the added weight of her confession bearing down on me; forcing me to open my eyes and consider things I had never even imagined.

'_Damn it Jane._'

* * *

When we walked into the Masters chambers, I noticed that this time, all three of them were there. None of them looked particularly happy, like they could smell the failure wafting off of us.

"What happened?" Caius all but shouted; his anger at the situation made painfully clear.

"The leader of the newborn army got away but we destroyed all of the newborns he created." I said, my gaze jumping from one leader to the next.

"How could he get away?" Caius fumed, his voice booming in the room.

"His name is Laurent and he wasn't in the cabin when we ambushed them. I tried to track his scent but it split off into three directions." I tried to keep from flinching at Caius's tone, not realizing until now just how scary the guy was when he was pissed off.

"If you didn't see him how do you know who he is?" Marcus asked, interrupting Caius's next outburst.

"I recognized his voice. I'd met him before." I answered.

"Do you know why he's doing this?" Aro questioned, looking very interested in the new information.

"Yes." I replied a bit curtly, "He said he wanted to kill me and the Cullens as revenge for Victoria's death."

Aro's eyebrows rose, nearly disappearing into his hairline. "The Cullens?"

"Yes. He said he was going to kill them." It was times like these that I wished I could retract my damn mental shield so I didn't have to repeat everything. He could just grab my hand and see everything that happened.

Of course, as soon as I thought it, Jane moved forward to offer her hand.

After rummaging through her memories, Aro pulled his hand back and looked at me, "You know what this means, correct?"

My eyes narrowed and instantly two things popped into my head. One, he was going to send me and whoever else he deemed worthy, to keep an eye on the Cullens. They were far too precious to Aro for anything to happen to them. The other thing that occurred to me was that he knew how Jane felt about me and knew exactly what had transpired on the plane ride here.

His tone and question was ambiguous enough to have covered either one of those meanings.

"No. I don't."

He smiled widely and I felt my stomach drop. Nothing good ever came of a smile like that.

"I'll be sending you and Jane to keep an eye on the Cullens. We'll keep in touch and if anything comes up, we'll send some other guard members to help." I saw that coming. I also knew that Aro thrived on drama and probably knew that sending us over there was just asking for trouble.

Jane didn't look pleased with the verdict either but I think hers was just because she loathed everything about who the Cullens were.

I just didn't want to see them. And I knew Jane would do nothing but stir up trouble.

"Jane, you're dismissed." Aro ordered, drawing me from my thoughts.

I looked at her questioningly, then to the three still seated.

Once Jane was gone, Marcus took the lead.

"I take it Jane has told you?" He looked amused, almost like he didn't think Jane had it in her.

"She mentioned something on the way back here." I didn't know what they were looking for but I was sure no matter what I said, they were going to tell me anyways.

"So, you know that you are mates?" He smirked and while I had suspected that was the case, I hadn't been willing to believe it.

Before I had a chance to stumble through an answer, Aro spoke up. "Of course she knows, dear brother. You've seen their bonds, correct?"

"Yes, brother, they are much stronger." They started talking amongst themselves, acting as if I wasn't there or relevant to the conversation.

"I'm so glad Jane has found her mate. I was starting to think it might never happen," Aro mused, his eyes finally making their way over to me.

"You can go now, Isabella. Perhaps you should spend some time with Jane." I nearly scoffed at his dismissal and suggestion. Asking me to stay had been pointless and an obvious waste of my time. But I took the hint; Jane was a valued member of the guard and someone Aro was personally invested in, it was unspoken that I was to embrace this revelation with open arms.

I didn't show any form of acknowledgement, I just turned and left; bristling at the ridiculousness of this whole situation.

* * *

I figured it would be awhile before anyone found out where the Cullens were staying so I took that as a sign to relax and enjoy what downtime I could get.

Too much had happened recently and as much as I'd have liked to relax, I just couldn't seem to. First there was Laurent, then the fact that I would have to see Edward again, and the whole thing with Jane was just icing on the cake.

I'm not sure if she knew I wasn't adjusting well to things but since meeting with Aro and Marcus, I had noticed she was giving me space.

Some much needed space.

But as much as I wanted to sneak away and avoid all the problems and things surrounding me, I couldn't.

If I wanted to get through this, I needed to do it head on. At the moment, the only thing I could handle was Jane, so that's where I started.

A tad reluctantly, I went out looking for her.

I didn't know what I was going to say or where things would go, but if we were supposed to be mates then I at least owed it to her to make an effort.


	9. Tell Me How You Really Feel

Finding Jane wasn't very hard, considering she didn't often leave the castle.

I found her in her room, looking bored out her mind and just a tad miserable. I figured I was to blame for at least a little of that boredom and a lot of that misery.

I was willing to bet that she figured I would reject her or call the whole thing off. The thought _had_ crossed my mind but I knew as well as she did that if we were really meant to be together that taking that approach would be pointless.

I had resigned myself to my fate and if the universe thought Jane and I were meant to be, I was going to roll with it. The worst case scenario was that we just wouldn't mesh and one of us (most likely me) would leave and try to forget anything ever happened.

"Hey." I whispered as Jane opened the door.

While Jane didn't flash a big 'ole grin, she did offer a small smile as she stepped aside to let me in her room.

A cursory glance showed that it looked exactly like mine, minus the excessive amount of clothes and books. It was stripped to the bare minimum and there was nothing in there that reflected any part of Jane's personality. Not that I really knew what to look for in that regard.

"Hello." Jane said formally.

I sighed and sat down on the edge of her bed, seeing no other placed to sit down. "I'll just start this off by saying I have no idea how to go about this," I waved my hand vaguely between us.

Jane stared at me like I had grown a second head before chuckling and sitting down next to me. "I'm not much better. I don't do relationships." She turned her head and looked at me, adding, "Of any kind."

"Well, don't we make quite the pair?" I offered dryly, seeing us for what we were; a couple of inexperienced teenagers.

She shrugged and we fell into a lull. I didn't understand why things felt so awkward but they were and I had nothing to offer conversation wise.

Maybe this would have worked had things gone a bit differently. Maybe if neither of us knew we were mates, and got to know each other like normal people it might have gone a bit smoother. Now, it just seemed weird.

"Shouldn't there be a strange pull or an instant attraction? Isn't that how this sort of thing works?" I asked, looking to Jane for guidance. Though I don't know why I expected her to know more about the subject than I did, since she hadn't gone through this either.

She laughed morosely before laying down, "Maybe you don't feel it because you're in denial."

My eyes bugged and I clasped my hands together in a feeble attempt to keep from fidgeting. "Do you feel it?" I asked quietly, wondering just how differently things were supposed to feel.

"Yes." One word, that's all she gave me. I should have expected that.

Lying down next to her, I stared at the ceiling. "What does it feel like?"

I didn't even need to see her to know she was rolling her eyes at me. "I don't know how to describe it." She sounded pained and I was sure it had everything to do with the fact that she knew I didn't reciprocate her feelings despite my knowledge of our bond. "It's like nothing I've ever felt before. I used to look at other vampires and find them attractive but when it comes to you, it's like everyone else fades into the background. Whenever you're around, I can just feel it, I don't need to look to know you're there."

I kept my focus on the ceiling even though I could feel her eyes on me. This time, I knew what I would see in those eyes and I didn't know if what she saw in mine would hinder or help so I didn't even look.

"I want to touch you all the time. It's weird and not at all sexual…though that wouldn't be a bad thing, but that's how I feel. When we were holding hands on the plane, I felt…complete. Like I found something I didn't know I was missing or looking for." Hearing her describe it, I never would have guessed she wasn't an emotional person. And what she felt made me crave the connection that our bond was supposed to bring us.

I wanted to give her the comfort she obviously needed, I wanted to feel like I had finally met the one person in the world who completed me.

Without thinking, I reached over and grabbed her hand in mine, interlacing our fingers. "I want to give you that, I just don't know how." I felt a myriad of things but shame seemed to be the most prominent. I was ashamed that some part of me was denying what we obviously seemed to have.

"You don't feel it?" Jane asked, her hand squeezing mine like she was afraid I'd let go and drift away.

"I feel the spark when our hands touch. I can feel when you're around me and sometimes I can feel that stab of pain when you're upset, but…I don't feel complete right now." My voice was barely above a whisper, and I could only hope it didn't hurt Jane to hear these things.

"Do you still love Edward?" I was not expecting that question, though I should have.

The fact that I needed to take a minute to think it over didn't help matters much either. "I don't know. I don't know if I'll ever be certain until I see him again, but, I don't think I do."

"Are you afraid of falling in love again?" After a second, she added, "Of falling in love with me?" I could hear the vulnerability in those questions and for once, I could answer those completely and honestly.

"No. I'm not afraid to fall in love, and certainly not with you." I thought about it for a second, "I'm more afraid of being hurt than falling in love. I can't take another heartbreak; I don't think I have it in me." And there it was; the truth I had been trying to deny since Edward left me in those woods.

I could ignore the pain and get angry about everything but what it all boiled down to, was fear. I was afraid that if I let Jane in, I would end up that same broken girl lying on the forest floor crying her eyes out.

I could become someone else and embrace the vampire I was but I couldn't pretend my hurt wasn't still there. That I didn't feel abandoned and broken and used.

I wanted to be whole but when Edward left me, he took a piece of me that I didn't know was missing until now. How could I possibly explain that to Jane?

Another squeeze of my hand and I was looking directly into Jane's eyes. For once they weren't hardened with anger or annoyance; they weren't anything but filled with obvious love. The one thing I had seen in her eyes time after time but hadn't been able to identify.

"Bella, I don't think I could hurt you even if I tried." She held my gaze, trying to convey just how serious and true the words were. "I'm sure I'll say the wrong things and my attitude will probably end in a lot of fights but I'll never leave you. This bond, it's the only thing that is guaranteed to bring a vampire happiness. It's the only good thing about what we are. You and I are stuck together…forever." Jane being sentimental was not something I was used to and while it was a little freaky, I couldn't deny how comforting it was too.

"I believe you." And I did, it might have been the sentimentality or the sincerity in her eyes but I believed her. I didn't think it would be all that easy to just accept the bond but at least I wasn't in denial about things.

Jane certainly wasn't the worst vampire I could have ended up with.

This brought a very interesting and important question to mind. "How are you going to handle being around Edward and his family?"

The soft look she had when we were talking about the bond was gone in an instant, replaced by a scowl and a low growl. "I will not enjoy it." She said through clenched teeth.

Her answer was terse and filled with unrestrained disdain. I laughed out loud and gave her hand a squeeze, "Why not?" Though I had an inkling of an idea why she wouldn't want to be around them, but I wanted to hear it from the horse's mouth.

"They are all weak and a disgrace to all vampires, feeding from animals," she scoffed, "it's pathetic."

I shrugged as much as I was able, "I get it. They don't want to kill people so they survive on what they can. It's not the best idea but I guess that's the price to pay to maintain a bit of your humanity."

Jane's head whipped around towards me, "You agree with their lifestyle?" She didn't bother to hide her disgust when she said 'lifestyle.'

I stifled a giggle at her shock, "No. I said I understood it, not that I agreed with it. I see no problem with how we live and feed. It's the food chain at its best, but, like I said, I can see why they feed the way they do."

Jane didn't say anything else, instead choosing to mutter how 'idiotic' the whole thing was, under her breath.

"So, what else?" I prompted, knowing that them feeding from animals wasn't the only thing she disliked.

"I don't like Edward." She sounded so petulant when she said it I felt the sudden urge to pull her into a hug.

"I don't either." I whispered.

"If he so much as looks at you the wrong way, I'll kill him." She hissed, sounding very believable in her threat.

But we both knew that wouldn't happen. "I'm sure you would," I said reassuringly but sounding a bit patronizing, "but I don't think Aro would take too kindly to hearing one of his prospective guard members was killed."

Jane growled but chose not to respond; instead she focused on our joined hands.

Her thumb ran across my scar before she pulled my hand closer to her face to examine it.

"James bit me there first before Edward sucked the venom out. The little overlap is from when Victoria bit me, just before I changed." I offered the information offhandedly, knowing she already knew the story behind it.

She nodded absently, her eyes still glued to the overlapping bite marks.

"No vampire will ever get close enough to do this again." She whispered, her eyes still on the bites and her voice full of rage.

"I know they won't." I smirked then added, "I've been working on my shield; I think with enough focus I can create a full body cloak." I knew I sounded far too proud of that fact but I couldn't help it.

Jane hiked up her eyebrow skeptically. I rolled my eyes but demonstrated what I meant.

Focusing solely on my hand, I imagined the bubble of space just above my skin. It took a minute but sure enough, Jane's hand was pushed off and hovering an inch above my hand.

"See?" I didn't even try to hide my excitement. "I can do it to my entire body but I don't think I have enough control to do it constantly."

Jane smirked when the shield dropped and her hand fell back into mine, "You'll be one of the most powerful vampires here if you can master your ability."

I nodded, knowing just how valuable my gift would be when it was completely mastered.

Jane and I didn't talk much more about anything serious, choosing instead to talk about the little things. Using what time we could to learn more about one another.

She learned that I was a complete bookworm and I learned that she had an affinity for music, though she preferred to listen to it rather than play it. She was fluent in more languages than I could count, while I was barely able to master English.

The only time we left the room was when we needed to feed and once that was over we went right back to talking or just being around one another.

I could feel the pull but I knew it was nowhere near as strong as the one Jane felt towards me. I could only take comfort in the fact that at least it was getting stronger with time. I just hoped it would be enough when we inevitably had to visit the Cullens.


	10. The Worst Kind Of Monster

Aro took longer than I thought he would in sending me and Jane on our protection detail for the Cullens.

Exactly one week after we had gotten back with the news that it was Laurent behind the attacks, Aro had summoned us and told us we were to leave immediately and that he would be sending someone to relieve us in a few weeks.

I didn't think we would last anywhere near a 'few weeks' there but Aro seemed to think otherwise.

As far as Jane and I went, I didn't think our budding relationship could really handle the test it was about to go through.

We were still in the handholding phase and even then, that was pretty limited. Neither of us were too big on PDA but I think that was mostly due to the fact that neither of us were all the experienced or comfortable being in a relationship.

Jane and I grabbed our things and headed towards Forks.

It was an unpleasant surprise that neither Jane nor I enjoyed hearing.

Aro in his infinite wisdom and need for drama, insisted that the Cullens go back to Forks where, and I quote, 'Laurent would come looking for them first.' Why that seemed to matter, I have no idea. I think he just wanted to stir up as much trouble as he possibly could, but I wasn't in any position to question him so I kept my mouth shut.

So, not only was I going back to the place Edward dumped me, it was also the place where I was unwillingly turned into a vampire, almost killed by Jacob and whatever had killed Victoria and to top it all off, I was going to be in the same town where my father still lived. The very father who probably thought I was dead.

'_How fun!_' I thought sarcastically; completely dreading this stupid assignment.

And from the look on Jane's face, I'd say she was feeling the same way I was.

* * *

The closer we got, the more I could feel my emotions slipping away and tumbling to the ground. My defenses were already up and my face wore a perfect mask of indifference.

It had taken me awhile to reconcile my feelings but after awhile, I had come to terms with things. I realized I didn't hate them all.

No, that would be too easy of an emotion to direct towards them. Hate was far too easy of an outlet, and an entirely untrue one. I had loved them, and I had thought they loved me too. Hate didn't burn through me, betrayal did.

It had been a bitter pill to swallow when I finally allowed the truth to present itself to me.

I thought Esme was the mother I never really had, or more accurately, knew I wanted. Carlisle was the father figure who was always willing to lend an ear; calm and direct but always with that loving undertone. Emmett was the big brother I had never realized I wanted; jovial and caring despite his large and looming stature. Jasper was type who stayed silent and strong, selflessly putting up with me even though it came at a price to his own strength. Alice, the best friend I never realized I needed, the sister I didn't realize I wanted, and the one person I could rely on. Rosalie, well, she was the only one exempt from the betrayal I felt. She made no effort to hide her disdain for me.

And Edward, no amount of words could truly describe the depth of betrayal or hatred I harbored towards him. For his family, I couldn't hate them; they hadn't hurt me nearly as badly as he had.

I shook the thoughts from my head as we headed towards our unfortunate destination.

A mile or so away from the Cullen residence, I was mid-step when I felt Jane's hand gently grab my upper arm, "Is your shield up?" Her voice betrayed nothing of her concerns so I wasn't entirely sure how to take the question.

"No," I said slowly, "should it be?" While the practice I had been doing had greatly improved my control over it, I knew that I hadn't completely mastered it yet. I could cloak my body but only as long as I could maintain some level of basic focus over it. Any extreme changes in my emotions tended to cause it to 'dissolve' or more aptly put, slip back into me.

Though, on the bright side, I had also learned that by using my physical shield to not only cloak my body, I was also able to cloak my natural scent. So, I suppose that was a perk but it did make it clear that I still had a lot to learn about the extent of this ability.

Jane sighed and dropped her hand, "I'd feel better if you did. We don't know what problems we'll run into while we're here." She wasn't using her usual tone and I think she was doing that on purpose. For someone who claimed she didn't 'do relationships' she seemed to have the manipulation part down. And now was no exception, I think she knew that by using this soft tone I would cave with little to no resistance.

I thought she was crafty before all this 'mate' business happened, but I couldn't have been more wrong.

I groaned loudly but didn't argue, I didn't see the point. She was right; neither of us knew what would happen in the near future so it only made sense that we were as protected as possible.

I went through the usual process, imagining the bubble within me and projecting it outward. Imagining it encasing my body and shielding it, and when I felt the familiar elasticity around me, I knew it had taken hold.

"Better?" I asked.

Jane narrowed her eyes as she examined me, as if just by squinting she could somehow see the invisible barrier that cloaked me. She took a deep inhale and seemingly satisfied by what she found, or more accurately didn't find, smirked. "Yes," she said haughtily.

I snorted at her attitude but didn't say anything.

We resumed our run and as soon as we reached the doorway, the door swung open and every one filed out of the house. Jane and I exchanged a glance before turning our attention back to the group of vampires gathered before us.

Based on most of their expressions, it was obvious they didn't need nor want us there, and while Jane and I would have rather been anywhere else, we were unfortunately stuck there.

"Cullens." Jane said their name with such venom and disdain that I was almost shocked. I didn't think a person could put that much hatred into just a name, but she had somehow managed it.

"Jane," Carlisle said, sounding much like the calm and patient man he had been before. I guess he wasn't going to let Jane's obvious hatred towards him ruin his calm attitude.

I didn't think it would last. Jane had a way of wearing people down when she really tried, and I didn't think the patriarch was exempt from that.

"And you are?" He asked, looking to me with a questioning look.

I was a little surprised that he didn't recognize me but then again becoming a vampire had definitely changed quite a few things about me.

I knew the moment I said my name they would recognize who I was and while I was never one for dramatics, I found myself wishing I had some dramatic music to accompany the big reveal.

"I'm surprised you don't recognize me," I mused, glancing at all of them with disinterest. But I didn't fail to notice that one member the family was missing, Edward, it seemed was not here. How disappointing. "Bella," I said confidently, pointing to myself for added effect.

The moment the pieces clicked into place could only be described as a classic Kodak moment. Shock was the most evident look on their faces, some with mouths agape, others with wide eyes; I made sure to commit every look to my memory. Whether there came a time I forgave them, I didn't really know, but I would be glad to have this memory saved.

"Bella, dear?" Esme asked; her sincerity and gentle tone winding its way around my dead heart. I knew I couldn't be mad at her; she was just too nice for me to hate. But I would hold strong, I wouldn't run to her and embrace her. No, I had at least some semblance of a backbone and I wasn't about to let her gentle voice deter me.

"Esme," I said, mentally congratulating myself for not sounding like a total bitch but also not sounding like I had missed her.

'_But you did´ _my brain supplied, which I promptly told to shut up.

Looking from vampire to vampire, I was met with a myriad of emotions. Carlisle seemed to be the most composed of everyone there, but the sadness in his eyes was unmistakable.

Esme looked like she was about to cry, whether it was from the knowledge that I had been turned or the fact that I was standing before her, I don't really know.

Emmett was grinning like an idiot, probably happy to see me alive, or as alive as a vampire could be. I had no doubt that me being a vampire was solely a good thing in his eyes, it meant he would have a new wrestling partner or someone to video games with.

Rosalie looked, well, she looked downright sad; which was not only surprising to see but also caused me to do a double take. From what little interaction we had, she made it painfully clear that she didn't like me, even going as far as to verbally confirm it, but I figured seeing me becoming a vampire would be something she would take joy in. So her sudden change in attitude had thrown me for a loop.

Alice looked conflicted, but I knew her well enough to know why. She was probably torn between hurling herself at me for a hug and crying her eyes out because of what had happened.

Jasper was grimacing, probably from the force of the emotions around him. That alone made it a bit more difficult to read him, seeing as how he was reflecting the emotions that were being projected onto him.

Seeing them all standing there, looking sorry for me, was making my mask slip. I didn't want nor need their pity and I wouldn't put up with it. I steeled myself and looked to Carlisle, "Can we take this inside?" I wanted to be downright rude but I had been raised better than that, so I ended up sounding more cordial than I had intended.

"Yes, please, come inside," he said after a moment, having come to his senses. Everyone stepped inside and took their seats on the couches and chairs available.

Jane and I hovered, clearly not wanting to sit but not really having a choice in the matter.

"You can sit if you'd like," Esme said softly, her motherly voice already sending me towards the end of the couch. '_Damn it_' I thought angrily as I sat down, noticing Jane take a seat next to me, leaving only an inch of space between us.

"You're a member of the Volturi?" Carlisle asked at the same time Alice asked, "What happened, Bella?"

I glanced between them, unsure of whether I wanted to field any of their questions. They didn't deserve an answer and I wasn't about to give them one. I was here on business not for social niceties.

"Yes, I am. And I assume Aro has filled you in on why Jane and I are here?" I asked, not so subtly shifting the conversation back on track.

"Ah, no. Aro only mentioned that he would be sending two guards to stay with us because of a possible attack." Carlisle glanced between Jane and me, looking to see who would fill them in on the details.

Before I could launch into the details, Jane started talking. "We had been tracking a serious of newborn attacks in Seattle not long ago. We discovered that a vampire by the name of Laurent was trying to create a newborn army to destroy not only this coven but also Isabella." I didn't fail to notice Jane's use of my full name. Though, it didn't bother me as much as I had thought it would.

Carlisle nodded thoughtfully, while Emmett just jumped from his seat, his hands rubbing together enthusiastically. "We don't need the Volturi to take down some newborns. We got this!"

Jane was now full on glaring at him and I had to resist the urge to pat her hand in an attempt to calm her.

"We wholeheartedly agree but Aro doesn't want to take any chances." I responded, knowing if Jane said anything else she might start using her ability on everyone just for kicks and giggles. Though I couldn't deny the appeal that sudden visual had.

"No offense Bells, but do you even know how to fight? You were pretty clumsy as a human." Emmett asked, completely oblivious to twin looks of displeasure Jane and I wore. I may have been clumsy but did he honestly think I would be here if I couldn't even properly defend myself?

Jane's eyes narrowed and a fierce growl rumbled deep in her chest, "She is a member of the guard and an exceptional vampire, of course she can fight!" Her voice shook the room as her anger laced every single word that left her mouth. I couldn't help but smile in appreciation.

Emmett held his hands up in surrender, knowing it would be a foolish idea to piss Jane off, and sat back in his chair. Jane saw my smile and smirked at me before turning her attention back to the other vampires in the room.

Carlisle decided to get back on topic, "Are you sure Laurent is coming after us?"

"Yes, I heard him say it when we destroyed his last army." I folded my hands in my lap and looked to Carlisle, sensing his many questions.

"Why is he targeting us? Last we heard he was with the Denali coven." He looked at us expectantly.

"He wants revenge for Victoria." I shrugged, noticing how they all seemed surprised to hear about her.

I didn't think it was all that surprising. Did they suddenly forget she existed? Her mate was killed at their hands after all, it seemed only logical that she would resurface at some point.

"Victoria?" Alice asked, "I thought she ran away when James died."

I scoffed, a bitter edge making itself known in my voice. "No, she waited until the timing was right before exacting her vengeance." I couldn't hide the hatred in my voice even if I tried. The last moments of my life would always be with me, no matter how old I got or how muddle my other human memories became. My last moments alive would always be there in pristine picture quality.

I would always remember the pain of her snapping my leg like a twig, the feel of her teeth sliding into my flesh, the muffled screams of pain. It would stick with me until the end of time.

I could feel my face morphing into a scowl as the memories descended upon me, feeling like a knife was being twisted in my gut. My hands clenched together and I glared angrily at each vampire in the room, "She waited until precious little _Edward_ dumped me in the forest," I started, spitting his name like the vile disgusting thing it was, "where I broke down like the pathetic human I was. He left me and I dropped to the ground, numb with the pain of hearing the only person I had loved had never loved me and that I was nothing more than a way to fill his time."

My teeth clenched together as the images replayed in my mind, the hurt I had felt at the time spreading through me like wildfire. "I don't know how long I was there before Victoria, in all her glory, found me. Of course, she couldn't just kill me and be done with it. No, she had a much better plan in mind."

I swallowed the venom that pooled in my mouth and moved to the edge of my seat, "See, she decided it would be more dramatic if she reenacted all the things James had done. Broken bones and bite marks included." I was seething, "I refused to cry out in pain, I figured if I kept my mouth shut then my last moments on Earth wouldn't seem quite so pathetic. She didn't really like that but in the end it's what kept me alive."

I was interrupted by the feeling of something pressing against my shield, drawing my attention away from my last moments alive. I glared at the only viable culprit; Jasper.

I shot out of my chair before I even realized it, my hand wrapping itself around his throat. "Don't. Manipulate. My. Emotions." I spat venomously, my hand squeezing tighter with every word.

I couldn't feel the effect of his influence but I didn't like that he was even trying. I refused to allow anyone to dictate my life, especially any of them.

My eyes bore into his until he nodded slightly and my hand instantly released itself. I growled but reluctantly moved back to my seat on the couch, trying to reign in my growing temper.

"You…you could feel that?" Jasper asked hesitantly, his hand rubbing at his throat as the cracks healed.

"Of course I can," saying it as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, not belying my surprise that my shield could and did protect me from his ability.

"You were saying, Bella?" Carlisle brought us back to the topic at hand, though I could already see the questions that were swirling around in his eyes.

"Before Victoria could completely drain me, something big knocked her off me and killed her. At that point her venom was already making its way through my system so I couldn't tell exactly what it was." I shrugged, trying to keep my temper in control. "But based on what happened after I was turned, I can only guess it has to do with Jacob. He was fighting with someone, trying to keep them from killing me too. They were about to get rid of me too when I 'woke up' and ran." I finger quoted woke up because I had no other way to describe it. "They chased me for awhile before giving up."

Carlisle nodded thoughtfully, "That must have been the Quileute wolves."

My head tilted, "Wolves?" Somehow through all of this, I didn't really consider the existence of other creatures.

"Yes, their whole tribe is descended from shape-shifters. That was probably who killed Victoria and who was going to do the same to you. They consider us their mortal enemies and only a long held treaty has kept them from attempting to kill us too."

I couldn't believe that Jake was a wolf, no, a shape-shifting wolf. I couldn't wrap my head around that. I don't know why though, considering how his own legends had led me to the conclusion that vampires were in fact, real. So it shouldn't have been all that surprising that they actually did descend from wolves.

Despite knowing all this, it still shocked the Hell out of me to hear it.

I quickly wiped the shock from my face and made to get up, needing to regain what little composure I could. Not only was the visit wearing me down but hearing that my best friend was a shape-shifter was too much, add to that the fact that those same wolves nearly killed me and literally chased me out of town was icing on the cake.

"We'll let you talk amongst yourselves." Jane didn't bother looking back as she ushered me out the door, knowing I needed to get as far away from them as possible.

"Where are you going?" I heard Esme ask; sounding like she was afraid we would leave and never come back.

"We need to hunt," Jane said tersely, not at all affected by the worried tone Esme displayed. "We'll be back shortly."

Any further discussion was cut off by Jane and I disappearing out the door.

Once we were out of earshot and well on our way to Seattle, I was jerked to a stop by Jane's hands on my shoulders. "Are you okay?" Her eyes softened and she was gazing into my eyes like the answer to her question was written in them.

"I'll be fine, I just need to get out of my head for awhile," I muttered, knowing that if I allowed myself, I would be lost in my head for days. Stewing over the information I had just learned and relentlessly going over my interaction with the Cullens.

If I couldn't work through these things, I would never be able to move on. The feelings would fester and I didn't know what they would do to me. I already felt like I was walking a fine line.

Sighing, I forced as much of a smile as I could to my lips, "I need to let go for a bit."

I knew Jane didn't buy my smile, but she didn't say anything about it. "Let's go hunt then, maybe giving yourself over to your instincts will help." She shrugged, knowing her guess was as good as mine.

I nodded and followed her out of town, and towards, hopefully, something that would take my mind off of things. At least for a little while.

* * *

After feeding, we returned to the Cullen residence feeling much more satiated, and in my case, much calmer.

My mind was still processing things but at least I had a grip on my emotions and thoughts. But seeing as how I was about to walk back into the lion's den, I didn't think my calm demeanor would last much longer.

My shoulders squared and my back straightened as we stepped back into the house.

We glanced around the room, surprised to see only Esme and Carlisle there. "The others left a little while ago to hunt; they should be back soon though." Carlisle spoke, answering our unasked question.

"Please, sit," Esme motioned to the vacated couch across from them.

Jane and I complied, seeing no reason to put up a fight.

"Say whatever you're going to say, Carlisle." I wasn't in the mood to beat around the bush and I knew for a fact that he had something on his mind. There was no way he could have heard everything that was discussed earlier and not have some question to ask or comments to add.

He chuckled at my bluntness, "Very well." He glanced between Jane and me, "I would like to start off by saying that while we don't object to your feeding habits, we ask that you not do so in the area."

I quirked an eyebrow, wondering if he thought we would intentionally draw attention to ourselves by feeding in such a small town. "We are well aware of how small this town is. It's obvious that people would immediately notice if others just started disappearing. Rest assured we'll feed elsewhere." I commented dryly, making my annoyance at the obvious request known and lacing my last comment heavily in sarcasm.

He nodded, his friendly smile still in place. "Second, I'd like to discuss how you plan to deal with this problem with Laurent."

"We've been given orders to stay here and watch out for any newborn activity, but we don't think Laurent will do anything any time soon. If anything _should_ happen, we'll call in reinforcements and deal with it accordingly." Jane answered, sounding and looking like she would rather be anywhere else than here.

I couldn't really blame her.

"I see. And Bella, if you wouldn't mind me asking," he started, and based on the look he was giving me I had a feeling it had nothing to do with Laurent and everything to do with Edward.

I decided to cut him off before he could bury himself any deeper in that hole, "Don't. If that question has anything to do with Edward, I suggest you keep it to yourself." My tone made it painfully clear that this brooked no argument.

"He's coming back tomorrow afternoon," Esme interjected, and when my glare turned towards her I couldn't hold it for long before it softened into a slight grimace.

I sighed and rubbed my temples, not at all looking forward to seeing him.

"Very well." I muttered darkly, wishing I could just let Laurent kill him and be done with it.

Sensing there weren't going to be any more questions, Jane and I rose from our seats. "I'll show you both to your rooms," Esme said kindly, not letting my obvious hatred for her son dampen her spirits.

Just as Jane and I reached the stairs, Carlisle spoke up, "Bella, a moment?"

I'll admit, I was tempted to tell him no but I figured if I was going to be forced to stay here for an indeterminable amount of time, I needed to get over my problem with them. My only real grudge should have been against Edward, but I knew thinking it and actually doing it were two completely different things.

Hurt like this doesn't just go away because you want it to.

I nodded to Jane, letting her know it was okay to go ahead and promptly walked back over to Carlisle.

"Yes?" I asked, trying to sound as polite as I possibly could.

"I wanted to ask how you're doing. I know I have no right to ask seeing as how you didn't exactly ask for this lifestyle, but I thought it only right to see how your transition has been going." He sounded completely genuine but I couldn't help but feel that bitter stab of resentment.

I could tell just by looking at him that he felt the need to carry at least part of this burden and that alone pissed me off to no end. I don't know why, but it just did.

"You're right, I didn't ask for this. I am what I am because you and your family abandoned me." I couldn't stop the anger spewing from me even if I tried, "You allowed your son to abandon me, knowing full well that Victoria was somewhere out there plotting her revenge."

He looked at me like he wanted to refute that but I pushed onward, "Whether you want to admit that fact is entirely up to you, but it is what it is. You let him leave me, and because of not only his decision, but yours as well, I'm now the very thing he tried so desperately to keep me from being." My chest was heaving with the rage and resentment I had been stockpiling since everything happened.

I was glad to have someone to vent to, knowing it was at least a little misguided, but needing to take it out on someone. "I was thrust into this world under the worst of circumstances. And when I awoke, it was only to be threatened again, forcing me to run for my life. I had no idea how to live, where to go, or what to do." I took a menacing step towards him, my eyes burning with angry tears that would never fall. "I was forced to join the Volturi because I had no other option." I hissed, taking another step forward.

"You and your family made a choice to pack up and leave, and it's because of that choice that I have had to carry the burden of it and suffer the consequences." I shook my head angrily, refusing to let my temper push me any further.

Taking a few steps back, I squared my shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes, "I wanted nothing more than to be a part of this family and at one point, I thought I was." I paused and forced the tears from my eyes, my eyes hardening, "But if that's how you treat family, I'm glad you abandoned me when you did because at least I got to see you for the monsters you really are."

I turned abruptly on my heel and marched towards the stairs, stopping before I took the first step, "You know, I wear who I am proudly; I've learned to embrace it with open arms."

I looked down at the stairs, my head shaking in disappointment, "But you, you all fight and cling to what little humanity you can; you feed from animals and try to blend into society, pretending like you're the humans you walk amongst. But no matter how close to them you get, no matter how much you abstain, you're still a monster. And maybe it's that little bit of humanity you hide behind that makes you so much worse than me, because I would never do what you and your family did." I thought putting everything out there would make me feel better, that I would feel this weight lift from my shoulders. But instead, I was left with a depressing cloud of realization hanging over my head. "And I'm supposed to be the worst kind of monster out there."

I shook my head sadly, "I'd rather be the wolf who wears their nature proudly than the wolf in sheep's clothing." Without another word I walked up the stairs and into the room Esme was standing in front of. I knew she had heard me, Hell, I had a feeling everyone had heard me; but I didn't care.

They always made a show of separating themselves from the vampires who showed no regard for human life, but at least with those vampires you knew where you stood. With the Cullens, I thought they were different from the rest, and I guess in a way they were.

It just wasn't in a good way. They hid behind their lifestyle and tried to be as human as they could, but when it came down to it, I was just a human that could be left behind and forgotten.

I had thought I knew where I stood with them, but it turns out, I didn't know squat.


	11. Making Amends & Interrupted Moments

My feet carried me across the bedroom floor, moving me from one end to the other. A sad attempt at keeping my thoughts in check, but no amount of pacing was ever going to do the trick.

It was useless and I knew it. So instead, I dropped onto the bed and lay there silently; listening to the group of 'children' of this household file inside.

The sound of their feet shuffling around shouldn't have seemed so loud, it shouldn't have resounded in my ears like an elephant stampede. But it did, and I could hear every light footstep like it was an earthquake.

On some deeper level, I had known they would hear me when I all but chomped, chewed and spit them out, and I couldn't really bring myself to be mad or upset that they did. I wanted them to know exactly what I thought of them, what their actions had cost me.

But dealing with them was nothing compared to what I knew would happen tomorrow.

Edward was supposed to be coming back.

He would show up and I would have to face the storm that had been brewing since the moment he disappeared into the forest.

I didn't think I was equipped to handle something like that so soon. The rant I had leveled at Carlisle and his family had already drained me, leaving me feeling like someone had sucked the very life from my body.

If that's how I felt after confronting the people who had betrayed me, how would things go with Edward? Someone whose crimes against me were so much worse than simple betrayal? I couldn't even begin to fathom the things his arrogant face evoked in me, it was like a prism of emotions that stretched too far and wide to completely grasp. It would start out with betrayal which would morph into anger, then hate, then sorrow, then fury.

Thinking of him sent me reeling and while I had thought about the many things I would say once I saw him, no amount of practiced speech could really cover things. As much closure and venting as I wished I could get from our inevitable confrontation, I knew it wouldn't happen.

The best I could hope for was to be able to close the door and move forward, but that didn't mean I wouldn't give him Hell for all that he had done to me.

I shook my head dejectedly and threw my arm over my eyes, wanting to calm the beast inside of me.

I'm not sure if I was lost in thought for five minutes or five hours, but suddenly I heard the door creak open and a body slide onto the bed next to me.

My body had tensed the moment the door opened, but as if it knew who was there, it instantly relaxed. So I could only figure that my visitor was none other than Jane. I sincerely doubted that anyone else in this house could put me at ease other than her.

Her small hand delicately removed my arm from my face. I could feel her eyes scrutinizing me, looking for any signs that something was wrong, whether it was emotionally or physically, I wasn't sure.

Sliding her hand into mine, we lay there in silence, both of us listening to the hushed whisperes below us.

"_She's right you know." Rosalie's voice suddenly spoke up, above the whispers. "Everyone here said they loved her and welcomed her as part of the family but the moment Edward told us to leave, we did." The disappointment in her voice was evident and for the second time that day, it made me wonder what had changed her opinion of me. _

_Someone snorted derisively, "Please, Rosalie. Don't act like you feel sorry for her, you're the one who was against her joining us since the beginning." Alice's voice was filled with bitter hatred. _

Listening to them, I wondered if they were as united and cohesive as I had thought they were. It had taken only a brief tongue lashing to make them come undone, which surely meant they weren't as familial as I had once thought.

"_I may not have liked her, but I certainly wouldn't have wished this life onto her. She was supposed to have a choice and it's because of us that it was ripped from her hands." Rosalie growled angrily, guilt slowly seeping into her words. "We blindly followed Edward because we thought he knew what was best for her, and look where that got us and her. She's right. We made the choice and now she has to live with the consequences." _I could almost see her pointing and accusatory finger at the rest of her family.

"_Do you think she hates us?" Emmett's usually deep and booming voice asked, sounding so subdued it was almost foreign. _

"_No, dear." Esme replied hesitantly, not sounding at all like she believed what she was saying. "I think she's more hurt than anything." _

"_Jazz?" Emmett's voice asked quietly, seeking some sort of confirmation. _

"_I don't know. You saw what happened earlier. I can't get a read on her; I have no idea what she's feeling. But from what we all heard, I can guarantee she doesn't exactly love us." His southern drawl was slowly making itself more pronounced as he spoke. _

I listened for a little while, torn between being amused and annoyed at the fact that they were talking about me like I wasn't even here. Or maybe this is how things went when I was human; completely unaware of the hushed conversations they were having when I was only a few rooms away.

"_She'll forgive us." Alice spoke up confidently, sounding like she would bet her life on the matter. _

Hearing her say it with so much surety made me want to hold onto my anger towards them, but I wasn't the type to hold a grudge (no matter how hard I tried to believe otherwise) and even if I was, they weren't worth the effort.

But, that didn't mean I liked hearing Alice act as though things would just magically work themselves out. It was arrogant and behavior like that was how all of this happened in the first place.

"_You've seen this?" Carlisle's calm voice floated through the air, a sad tinge lacing his words. _

_There was a beat of silence, "Well, n-no," Alice's voice faltered, a hint of frustration in her voice. "I can't really see her anymore, but I know Bella, she'll forgive us." She didn't sound as confident now. "I mean, she has to, right?" The hesitation and doubt were slowly making its way through her, making itself known in her tone. _

"_Why would she? We left Bella-bear like she didn't mean anything to us. We chose Edward over her." Emmett said dejectedly, "Hell, even I wouldn't forgive that." _

"_Edward is family and he said it was for the best," Carlisle's voice spoke up, not missing a beat as he defended his firstborn son. _

_A mocking scoff followed his words, "That right there is why she's so pissed off right now." Rosalie sneered, her voice hard as diamonds. _

"_What?" Emmett's confused voice asked. _

"_What he just said." Rosalie pointed out, "He claimed Bella was family; that she was one of us, but he just proved how much he believed it." She sounded exasperated that she needed to point out something so seemingly obvious. "He just said Edward is family, so that would imply that Bella wasn't or isn't." _

Had I not been so engrossed in the conversation I was listening to, I would have felt the need to dwell on the fact that Rosalie was the one who seemed to be defending me the most.

"_If none of you felt that way, you shouldn't have acted like you did." She sounded downright pissed off. _

"_Rosalie, you know that isn't what I meant," Carlisle's voice said smoothly, trying to sound placating. _

"_Bullshit! If it came down to Bella or Edward it would be no contest." His attempts at calming her only seemed to have riled her up even more._

"_Rose is right." Emmett said glumly; voice barely above a whisper. _

"_No…" Alice said softly, "Edward would have realized his mistake and come back. They're mates, they couldn't be apart from each other that long," she countered, though she didn't sound like she believed a word that was coming out of her own mouth._

"_You can't seriously be that obtuse," Rosalie said harshly, sounding like she was talking to a bunch of idiots. "There is no way in Hell she was going to take him back after what he put her through. Did you not hear what she said happened? Was I the only person who heard?" _

_Silence fell onto the room and only the subtle shifting of weight indicated that they were still there. "Was I?" Rosalie asked again, breaking the heavy silence. _

"_We left her unprotected. We are the reason she was turned. We are the reason she had to join the Volturi. God knows what she's had to do because of a stupid choice Edward made." She sounded exasperated as she ranted. _

"_You're all insane if you think she's going to just fall back into his arms and pretend like nothing ever happened. You heard what she said, we all did." Rosalie's voice lightened and I could picture the smirk that had worked its way onto her face, "She's going to kill him when she sees him tomorrow." A dark chuckle followed her words, "What we got today was nothing compared to what she's going to do to him." _

"_Rosalie…" Esme admonished. _

"_No." Rosalie said sternly, cutting her off. "We got off easy because we didn't hurt her nearly as bad as he did. She knows we left but __**we're**__ not the ones who took her to the woods and dumped her. __**We**__ didn't tell her we never loved her and that she was nothing more than a way to kill time. __**We **__betrayed her but we sure as Hell weren't the ones who broke her." Her voice took on its usual cold and hard tone, "So don't pretend like everything is going to be magically fixed once she sees him. She'll kill him," I could hear her footsteps walking further and further away, "and if she doesn't, I will." _

_With that, the footsteps faded into the distance. _

"_I'll help," Emmett supplied angrily, his own heavy footsteps following his wife's. _

I was drawn from the halted conversation below us by Jane's hand squeezing mine, "My offer still stands you know," she whispered, sounding just as willing as she had the last three times she offered.

And just like all the times before I couldn't help but laugh, "I know, but again, Aro wouldn't like that too much." I ran my thumb absently across her knuckles, "But let's not take it off the table just yet."

I could feel the smirk that spread across her lips, "Deal."

I had no doubts that Jane would be using her powers on Edward tomorrow, it was just a matter of keeping it limited to just that. Inflicting pain on him was bad, but at least it was manageable. If she outright killed him, then there would be trouble.

We fell into another lull; content to just absorb whatever surety and comfort the other could give.

"I'm proud of you," Jane whispered quietly after a moment.

I quirked and eyebrow and turned onto my side to look at her, "Why?"

She followed suit and turned to face me, our faces so close they were almost touching. "You stood up for yourself and completely ripped them apart." Her smirk morphed into a twisted smile, "You broke them apart just with your words, a feat even _I_ couldn't manage."

I snorted in amusement at that, my hand coming up to rest on her cheek, "Sweetie, I keep you around for your brute strength, savage nature and cunning mind, not your speech skills." I smiled sweetly and started to pat her cheek.

Jane growled, but didn't attempt to move, "So, what? I'm just your muscle?" Her eyes narrowed as she tried to give me a serious glare.

I smiled even wider, nodding slowly. "Basically," I said smugly, watching as her only slightly serious glare faltered.

Her glare suddenly fell, only to be replaced by a smug smirk, "Well, then it's a good thing I only keep you around for your pretty face and quick wit."

I smacked her shoulder playfully, "I can't even pretend to be offended by that, it's too much of a compliment."

Jane laughed haughtily, "That's just how my beautiful mind works." She smiled cheekily and winked.

Shaking my head, I inched just a bit closer, feeling the fun mood slowly shifting to something else.

Our faces moved infinitesimally closer, the air around us was charged with the emotions coursing through us both. We were about to take a new step, and our lips were just a hairs breadth away and then reality came crashing back down on us.

A knock at the door had us both jumping apart like we had just grabbed a livewire. Twin growls rumbled deep in our chests as we recognized the moment for what it was; ruined.

I sighed and smoothed down my clothes, walking slowly towards the door, attempting to keep my temper in check despite how rattled my beast was.

I swung the door open, my eyes hardened with agitation but the look quickly dropped from my face when I was greeted by none other than Rosalie Hale.

I didn't need to look back to know that Jane was leveling Rosalie with a glare that could kill, or that she was fuming with the same annoyance and anger that I had been.

"Yes?" I asked strongly, not letting in on the fact that she had just interrupted a moment that probably wouldn't happen again anytime soon.

"Can…"Her eyes drifted from me to Jane, who continued to hover in the background, "Can we talk?"

I was at war with myself, part of me wanted to slam the door in her face and tell her she didn't deserve a chance to talk to me, especially not with the way she treated me before. The other part, held firm and insisted I listen to whatever she had to say. It was the part that insisted that Rosalie didn't deserve any of the anger I harbored towards the rest of her family, it reminded me that she never hid how she felt about me, and now that she knew what their actions had done, she stood up for me and lashed out at her family.

The decision was really a no brainer, and I knew if I was going to hear anyone out, Rosalie had the best shot.

My body steeled itself, preparing for this discussion to go either way, but knowing it wouldn't be as bad as my head seemed to convince itself it would be.

I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly, "Sure," then turned to Jane, "I'll be right back."

Jane nodded but didn't look all that happy that I was going to go talk with Rosalie. I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile before disappearing through the doorway and outside.

Rosalie and I walked deep into the woods behind the house, far enough to be completely out of earshot of any eavesdroppers. Though I sincerely doubted anyone would bother listening in on our conversation.

Once we were a good distance from the house, she perched herself on a fallen tree and looked at me expectantly. I leaned my body up against a tree directly across from her, not particularly interested in sitting down next to her. Just because she had caused me the least amount of damage and had stuck up for me didn't mean I was completely comfortable around her. I had no qualms about making that known.

She watched me lean lightly against the tree, arms crossing protectively against my chest.

A small smile graced her lips before she took a deep and unnecessary breath and dropped her head. "I wanted to say I'm sorry for what happened to you. You should have had a choice in the matter and we took it away from you." I could hear the sorrow that dripped from her words and I could only assume it was because this wasn't a life she wanted. I recognized the signs and once the pieces clicked into place, it made her behavior towards me make all the more sense.

But underneath the sorrow, I could also hear the anger.

"I appreciate the sentiment but what's done is done." The air of nonchalance was weaving its way through my words and only practice had made it sound believable. "You don't need to feel sorry for me; I know you weren't one of my biggest fans. This doesn't change anything." I looked at her, not really getting why she felt the need to clear the air. She played the smallest part in all of this.

She snorted and laughed darkly, a prelude to what was to come. I knew, just by the dark look that passed in her eyes that what she was about to tell me wasn't something I wanted to hear. I'd seen that dark look before, it was the look that said you were haunted by something you could never forget.

When I thought about Victoria and the last things that went through my mind before I changed, I had that look. I recognized it for what it was; a painful memory that would never fade.

Her eyes locked with mine with a fierce determination, "That's where you're wrong." Her eyes suddenly broke the stare off and she redirected her gaze to the trees off in the distance. "This changes everything," her voice took on that same sad tone and even if I wanted to be angry at her, that look combined with her tone made it impossible.

Her hands clasped together in her lap, her eyes glazing over as she continued to stare off into the distance. "I didn't want to be this, I never wanted it." I could hear the longing in her words, "If I had been given a choice, I wouldn't have wanted this, but I never got a say in the matter. Carlisle found me that night and changed me. He thought he was saving my life, but he was condemning me to an eternity in Hell." Rosalie's voice was suddenly hard and bitter again, her brow furrowed in anger.

"He found me the night my fiancé and his friends beat and raped me. I was vain enough to think something like that would never happen to me, that I would get married, have children and be a proud mother. It was how things worked back then and I had no problems adhering to that." Her eyes narrowed, seeing something I couldn't even fathom.

"Royce was his name, the man I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with. That night, I didn't even see it coming. Him and his friends were drunk," she paused and took a deep inhale, "to this day, when I think about it, I can still smell the stale alcohol on their breath."

"They were ruthless and had no problem leaving me there on the floor to die. I had resigned myself to my fate though; that I would die on that cold street. I remember the pain that ripped through my body, feeling the broken bones and blood that seemed to run down every inch of my body." She shivered, "But despite all that, I was ready to go."

Her eyes cleared as she once again leveled me with her gaze, "But as you can clearly see, I didn't die that night. At least, not the way I had planned." Rosalie chuckled darkly, "Carlisle found me and turned me, thinking he was saving me. That I would rather be alive as _this_," she spat the word like it was the worst thing in the world and maybe for her, it was, "than dead."

Her head shook angrily, "I hated you because you represented all of the things I could and never would have. You were human, you could get married and have kids, and you could live the life that was so violently ripped from my hands. And instead of cherishing the gift you had, you were willing to give it all up without a second thought."

I sighed and sat down next to her, realizing that out of everyone, only her and I seemed to share this in common. My end hadn't been nearly as traumatic as hers had but we didn't ask to become what we were, it was thrust upon us.

I looked at her for a moment before looking down at the ground, "I was ready to die." I mumbled quietly, "I knew she was going to kill me and I was ready for it. I felt like I had lost everything that mattered to me and I thought, if nothing else, that maybe my death would be one last blow to Edward." I couldn't help but smile darkly at the thought, "But I didn't think I would make it out alive."

I shook my head sadly, not turning to meet her eyes, "I went through all of that with as much pride as I could muster because I thought she would kill me and I didn't want my last moments on Earth to be of me screaming for mercy that would never come."

I was so focused on the ground that I didn't even notice her hand moving towards mine and covering it in silent support. I nearly laughed at the idea of Rosalie needing to comfort me; almost.

"I guess I never realized just what I was giving up by being turned. It never clicked into place that I wouldn't be able to walk around during the day, that I wouldn't be able to have kids or grow old. When I was with Edward, it all seemed worth it. But now that I have that distance, I realize that I'll never have those things." I looked at her hand on top of mine, "But I don't dwell on it because that won't change things. I can't go back in time and change what happened, I can only accept what is and move on."

With one last glance at her, I stood from seat, letting her hand fall from mine, "You don't need to be sorry for what happened to me, Rosalie. I hate how things happened, but I'm taking it in stride. I wasn't who I wanted to be when I was human, and I certainly wasn't someone I could be proud of. But this change," I smiled, thinking of the many things I had learned and been given since Victoria changed me, "it's made me into someone I couldn't have been otherwise. I can spend the rest of eternity being spurned and angry but it's just not worth it. I've got too much to be grateful for to be angry."

Rosalie looked at me with wide eyes and a small smile on her lips, "But I do want to thank you for sticking up for me. You didn't have to but you did it anyways, so thanks."

It was her turn to shrug casually, "You were right when you told Carlisle off. No matter how jealous of you I was, you were still a part of this family, and we treated you like nothing. You were welcomed into our lives and then abandoned without a second thought, and that's something no amount of apologizing can amend."

I nodded thoughtfully before turning to leave, "Like I said, you've got nothing to apologize for." I offered her a genuine smile before heading back to the house and subsequently, my room.

I didn't think Rosalie would fully accept what I had told her but at least she knew that I didn't hold anything against her. Even if she had wronged me, hearing about her last moments alive would have erased that anger in a second.

My hands delved into the pockets of my pants as I strolled into the house, my eyes glancing at the clock and registering that there were only a few hours before Edward would be arriving. It was like watching the countdown to the end of the world, I knew it was coming and that I was helpless to do anything about it, but I wished that I could set the clock back a little and give myself more time to prepare.

I walked into my room, grabbed my things and made my way to Jane's room, knowing it would be not only comforting for me but also for her if we were in the same room.

* * *

I opened the door quickly and quietly, slipping inside before Jane could even register my presence. My back pressed against the door, my shoulders slumping with the sudden weight of my conversation with Rosalie.

Knowing I had played down certain aspects of this life to help ease her burden of undue guilt, I could feel it all come crashing down on me.

I could be calm and even summon up the anger inside of me when I needed it, but I would always end up getting hit by it with full force.

I buried my face in my hands and slumped to the ground, knowing things would only get worse from this point on. Edward would be coming back and I didn't know if I was really prepared for that. I had only _just_ said my peace to Carlisle, and because everyone else was eavesdropping, them as well.

Just because I had put my feelings out there, didn't mean everything was now sunshine and rainbows. No, I was far from being over things. I knew that much.

I closed my eyes and welcomed the familiar touch of Jane's arm winding itself around my shoulders. "Did she do something to you?" Jane growled; the threat of pain barely hidden beneath her words.

My head lifted from my hands, "No, she wanted to apologize and I told her she didn't have anything to apologize for." I immediately dropped my head back down, burying it further into my hands. "I'm just in emotion overload," the words sounding muffled, but audible nonetheless.

Jane pulled me to my feet and brought us towards the bed, both our bodies dropping like a bag of cement.

"It'll be fine. You always get like this before something big happens," she murmured, her nose buried in my hair.

"No I don't," I muttered petulantly, knowing she was right but refusing to acknowledge it.

"Yes, you do. You always worry beforehand, but the second things get serious, it all disappears. You do it all the time before assignments." She sounded so full of herself that I wanted to push her off the bed.

"I do not. And how would you know how I feel before assignments? Only recently did you stop glaring at me all the time." I could feel her eyes narrowing, but it was less effective when accompanied by her deep inhale of my hair.

"Just because I was glaring didn't mean I wasn't watching you."

I tilted my head up towards her, "You know, when you say it like that, it sounds kinda creepy. A little stalkerish." I joked, wanting to lighten the mood and take my mind off things.

She smacked my arm lightly and went back to resting her head on mine, "Shut up," was all she responded with.

I snickered, "See, this is why you're the muscle and I'm the, what did you say? Pretty face and quick wit?" I smiled triumphantly.

Jane mumbled something too low for me to hear. After a second her head jerked up and she glared at me, "Wait, are you saying I'm not pretty?"

I couldn't hide the smirk pulling at my lips even if I tried, "Do you want me to add 'pretty' to the list of reasons I keep you around? Because, if you need me to, I have no problem telling everyone I meet that you are not only my muscle but also my arm candy." I looked at her challengingly, wondering just how she would respond.

Jane's eyes widened in surprise, "Arm candy? I am a feared member of the Volturi, one of the famous 'Witch Twins,' I am no one's arm candy." She responded gruffly, her arms crossing her chest in defiance.

I wanted to laugh so hard at how she was acting, but I wanted to push her buttons a little more, so I pressed on. "That's where you're wrong. You, my dear, are _**my**_ arm candy. Whether you like it or not." I whispered into her ear, enjoying the prominent chill that swept through her body.

Jane's lips pressed into a tight line as she fought to maintain her hard edge, "I. Am. No. One's. Arm candy."

I sighed in faux defeat, pulling away from her and dropping back onto the bed. "I guess I'll just have to find someone else to be my arm candy." I ignored Jane's angry grumbling and tapped my index finger against my chin thoughtfully, "Do you think Felix will mind doing it? I mean, he's certainly handsome enough for it," I wondered out loud.

Jane's muttering instantly stopped at the mention of Felix's name before I heard her mouth snap closed and her teeth start to grind.

"No, I think he's too tall for me, I'd look like a dwarf compared to him." I paused again, thinking of someone who would aggravate Jane more than Felix. "Ooh, what about Heidi? I mean, she's about my height, she's definitely pretty enough, and we're already close." I turned towards Jane, pretending like I couldn't hear the loud growl that erupted at the mere mention of Heidi's name. "What do you think?" I asked innocently.

Jane's teeth were bared as she hovered above me, a low growl still rumbling in her chest. I smirked at the reaction, "So…"

Her brow furrowed as she leaned down and firmly pressed her lips to mine, her growl instantly disappearing.

It was playful, definitely a distraction and most certainly a win tactic. But it was also all consuming despite its short length. The moment our lips touched it was like an electrical current shot through my system, setting every nerve bundle on edge and short circuiting every brain cell I had. Fireworks and star bursts didn't do it justice, and yet, I couldn't quite find the right words to describe how amazing it was.

It wasn't my first kiss and if it felt like this even a hundredth of the time, it certainly wouldn't be my last.

It was a kiss, something that seemed a little trivial when I was human, but with Jane it made things click into place that I didn't even know were out of place.

Her lips pulled away from mine and slowly my eyes slid open, causing me to wonder when exactly they closed. Jane looked down at me, a lazy smile on her lips.

Her body rolled to the side and dropped next to mine, her hand automatically seeking mine out.

No words were exchanged, no deep conversations on the matter, no analysis. We enjoyed the moment for what it was; accepting the step forward in our relationship and basking in the euphoria that that progress brought.

After a few moments of silence, my brain finally caught up. "So, is that a no on Heidi?" I asked, my brain automatically jumpstarting to our previous discussion.

"No."She growled, "You are mine and only mine."

I couldn't exactly say that a possessive Jane wasn't attractive, because it was.

I sighed dramatically, "Fine, I'll just make do with you."

Jane huffed but it seemed less effective with the smile that was plastered on her face.

In that moment, looking at Jane, I knew that if nothing else good came out of this assignment, I at least had this to look back on. No matter how badly things would turn out, no matter the number of fights and one-on-one talks, I would always have this moment with Jane and this giant step forward in our relationship.

* * *

**Figured this chapter could use a little fluff seeing as how the next chapter is going to be 90% angsty. **  
**Sorry about the wait for an update but I wanted to wait until the confrontation with Edward was mostly finished. ****I'm still making changes to it but chapter 12 should be up in the next two days. **  
**As always, I appreciate the reviews, favorites and follows; you have no idea how much it means to see you guys enjoying the story.**

Thanks for reading! :)


	12. These Boots Are Made For Walkin'

Jane and I left our room somewhere around 10 a.m., patrolling the area and trying to see if there were any threats nearby.

I could tell some of the Cullens wanted to socialize and clear the air but I wasn't in the mood to ease their burden. I was here to do a job.

I continued weaving through the forest, my ears straining to hear anything other than the woodland inhabitants. For hours, Jane and I stood watch outside, just watching and waiting.

I knew the moment he arrived.

I could hear his feet running down the graveled walkway, down the driveway, swinging the door open and running inside.

I stood in the backyard, my back to the house, refusing to turn around because I knew if I saw him, I wouldn't be able to control myself.

He wouldn't make it out alive.

His voice carried through the house and outside.

"Where is she?" he asked frantically, sounding desperate to confirm what his family had no doubt told him.

"Son, you need to calm down," Carlisle's smooth and authoritative voice commanded under the thin veil of suggestion.

"I need to see her," he all but shouted, his growing agitation making itself known.

A loud snort of disbelief echoed off the walls, "Of course, _now_ he needs to see her," Rosalie's voice said, sarcasm and distaste dripping from her every word.

"She is my mate! I thought I was doing what was right for her!" his self-righteous voice responded angrily.

Rosalie snorted again, "Good luck with that Edward" she said his name like it was a foul curse word then laughed wildly, like she knew something he didn't.

I could almost picture his eyes narrowing suspiciously, unable to pull the hidden thought from her mind. "What is that supposed to mean?" he asked darkly.

"You'll find out soon enough," she said ominously, clearly enjoying the knowledge she held just out of his reach.

Then I heard footsteps approaching and saw Rosalie walk towards me, a sly smile on her face, "He's here," she whispered conspiratorially, as though I hadn't just heard their entire conversation.

My responding laughter surprised even me for a moment, "I know; I can hear quite well." I whispered in the same tone, my index finger tapping my ear to drive the point home.

"Sometimes I forget that," she replied, that same undertone of sadness creeping into her voice.

I nudged her shoulder, "We already went over this. Don't make me say it again," I threatened playfully,

She shrugged, and I knew that no matter how often I reinforced how guilt-free she should feel, it wouldn't completely wipe it away. She looked at me one more time before darting off into the woods.

My eyes followed her figure until she disappeared, then I snapped back to the situation at hand.

I needed to figure out how this thing with Edward would play out.

I wanted him to think he was in control, wanted him to believe that he had me wrapped around his finger so completely that I didn't know my right from left or up from down. I wanted him to be so delusional in his ability to control me that he couldn't even fathom me not believing anything other than what fell from his lips.

And only when he truly believed he had me thoroughly convinced of his innocence, would I deliver a swift kick to his legs and sweep the rug out from under his disbelieving feet. I would deliver blow after blow until he was the one who couldn't tell up from down, left from right. (Whether some of those punches were physical was entirely up to my control, though I knew for sure, that by the end of everything I would have punched him at least once.)

I heard him stop talking inside and knew he would be coming to look for me. He had to have known I was somewhere around here.

I listened with enhanced hearing to the loud thumping of his feet against the hardwood floor until the stomping got louder and louder until it quieted down to the crunch of the grass crinkling beneath his feet.

My back remained straight and to the back door, my eyes studiously focused on the trees in the woods.

His footsteps continued to fall heavy, deliberate in their volume and pressure, until the steps stopped and I could feel his presence behind me.

Had I not had a plan to follow, I would have screamed at the top of my lungs at how everyone was acting around me, treating me as though I were still human. Whispering amongst themselves a floor below me like I couldn't hear them, using heavy and sure footing so as not to surprise me, like my hearing wasn't as pristine (if not more so) than theirs. It was as though they refused to acknowledge that I was no longer human, that I was the same as them. They seemed to think they still had the upper hand and if they continued underestimating me, they would sorely regret it.

My eyes stared straight ahead, waiting for him to make the first move, because I refused to show my cards and reveal my hand. That was up to him.

A minute passed, sixty seconds of is presence lingering behind me, of knowing he was just staring at me. Sixty seconds of stretched silence and nothing else.

But I learned more in those sixty seconds than I thought I would. A perk of being so observant and quiet for so long, I suppose.

For sixty seconds, I observed as much as I could, with my back still turned to him.

I heard the deep, greedy inhales of breath he took the entire time he hovered behind me. I heard the hushed, almost inaudible moan that accompanied the first three inhales; a sign that my scent still affected him, maybe not with bloodlust but it still affected him. I heard the grass crunch beneath his feet, a subtle and quiet indicator that his body was shifting. I heard his hand run through his messy bronze hair; a nervous habit.

I could feel his eyes burning into me as they roamed what little of my body he could see; taking note of my changed form and new wardrobe. (Revealing, yet not too revealing. Tight but not overly so. Designer, not off brand or a cheap knockoff. Flattering but not looking as though I was trying too hard.)

And I could hear the tiny huff of frustration that accompanied the tingle of something poking at the edges of my mind. It was like an itch that was just out of my reach and I knew it was his way of trying to force his way into my head. It didn't work.

Finally, after those sixty seconds, he finally spoke. His words came out as a reverent whisper, almost like he thought if he said my name any louder, I would disappear. Like I would turn out to be nothing more than a figment of his imagination; I nearly laughed at that thought alone.

"Bella." It was said like a prayer, desperation oozing from the letters that formed my name.

Silence.

"Bella, love," again it was said like it was his salvation, like water after days spent in the desert.

My body remained turned away from him; I could feel his hand hovering just above my right shoulder. I could feel it, just millimeters away from my shoulder, hesitancy and anxiety working his nerves to oblivion. '_Good_' I thought, '_he should be on edge_.'

I felt the limb descend and I chose that moment to compose my face and whirl around. My face perfectly impassive, no shred of emotion shining through my eyes, no feeling of any sort playing across my features. Just looking at him, I could feel my plan slipping through my fingers and knew in the end, my anger would end up ruling my reaction.

His eyes greedily roamed my body, taking the moment to absorb and memorize my every feature. His scrutiny moved from my hair to my eyes down my nose to my lips. He continued the journey down my neck, to my chest, waist, hips, legs, then feet, before moving back to my face.

His eyes were filled with sorrow, joy, guilt, anger, love and just a hint of disappointment.

I could place what contributed to each one of those emotions but it wasn't very hard to identify their causes. Sorrow to see what I had become, joy that I was alive, guilt that it happened (either because he left or because he wasn't there to stop it), anger most likely because of my diet choice, love was self explanatory, disappointment, that one was a doozy. Disappointment because I was now like him; I was a soulless monster. Really, it all boiled down to the fact that I wasn't human anymore. He knew it and I knew it.

When his eyes finally met mine, I saw the flicker of realization, the moment it dawned on him that my eyes hadn't started to fade to his golden brown, but radiated a blood red.

His small smile dropped to a frown, his brow furrowing in confusion as his mind continued to poke at mine, a sad attempt at extricating answers without putting in the effort.

"Bella, love, I'm so glad you're okay!" He seemed to pull himself together and moved to embrace me. My shield pulled out and coiled itself around me, creating a thin barrier between his skin and mine. His arms snaked around my waist as his nose burrowed itself in my hair, taking yet another deep inhale. Except this time, there was no scent.

I could feel his frown without even seeing his face, could see the total confusion marring his face as he tried to figure out how my scent could be there one second and gone the next.

I quashed my smirk and fought to keep my face neutral and blank.

He noticed I hadn't returned the hug and took a hesitant step back, his eyes staring into mine like he could see something there that would help him out of this situation.

The silence must have been getting to him because his hand raked though his unruly hair, tugging harshly at the gravity defying strands. "What happened?" His voice was soft and welcoming, goading me into an answer; but unlike before, it didn't hold its usual charm.

"I'm a vampire. Is this a familial trait of some kind? The need to have the obvious pointed out to you?" I rolled my eyes but otherwise kept my face passive, my voice only reflecting a slight hint of humor instead of the irritation I felt growing within me.

His eyes widened slightly, not expecting the callous words to slip from my mouth, though I don't know why. I doubted he didn't already know what I had said to Carlisle and the rest of his family. No thoughts were safe in this 'family' so why he felt the need to ask a question he already knew the answer to, I had no idea.

"How did this happen?" Edward's soft voice sounded desperate, like he wouldn't believe what I was unless he had the entire story.

I didn't point out that he was in no right entitled to the story let alone entitled to ask any questions. But for the sake of the fun, I went along with it. "You already know what happened. I'm sure you've rifled through your families heads, gathering whatever intel you could. And I hope you got my parting speech from Carlisle, because I don't think it would be quite as effective if I had to say it a second time." My eyes darted past him and towards the house where I knew they were hovering; shamelessly eavesdropping.

My attention turned back to Edward, watching him recoil as if I had slapped him in the face. '_How melodramatic_," I thought, wondering if he had always been like this.

"I-I heard but," he paused, his eyes once again searching mine, "I hoped it wasn't true."

My eyebrow shot up, my hand motioning up and down my own body, "Does this look like a lie?" My hand pointed towards my eyes, "Can you really stand here and act like it isn't what it looks like?"

I shook my head in not only annoyance but disappointment, "What possible reason could I have for lying about that?" He was sucking the fun out of this and it seemed like such an 'Edward' thing to do that I was immediately wishing this confrontation was over.

I should have known he would somehow manage to turn this into something about him.

His head shook, almost as if he were shaking the words from his head; refusing to let them settle into his brain. "I didn't want any of this to happen. You were supposed to live a normal, human life. I wanted you to date, get married, have kids and die old and happy." His eyes softened as his voice took on that familiar desperate tone, pleading for understanding.

My head tilted ever so slightly, absorbing the words that fell from his mouth with such twisted conviction, "You and I both know that was never going to happen. But putting that aside, did it even matter what I wanted? Did it matter that I didn't want marriage or kids?" My eyes bore into his, mentally noting that the nail had hit its intended mark; snapping a mental picture when his lips pressed together tightly, his eyes hardening ever so slightly and his hand raking through his hair once again.

"You were never supposed to be a part of this world, can't you see that? You were supposed to go on living your life and pretending like we were just the things of horror stories." His voice was rising, no longer that soft and compassionate tone, but an agitated and frustrated one.

"You didn't answer my question." I pointed out, completely ignoring his comment.

He sighed heavily, looking exasperated as he stared at me, "You didn't know what you wanted. And what you did want was the wrong thing." His head shook dismissively, almost sadly; like this whole thing was a test he had orchestrated and I had foolishly made the wrong choice and failed.

"So you took my choice away?" I asked, putting all my effort into keeping the anger that was bubbling just below the surface from entering my words, from making itself known.

He scoffed, his feet starting to pace in front of me, "I did what I thought was right for you."

My eyes widened, unable to completely ignore how ludicrous his entitlement seemed to be, "You _do_ see where your controlling behavior landed me, right?" I asked, my disbelief shining through.

Edwards steps faltered for a moment before resuming again, "I couldn't know that was going to happen. I did what I thought was right for you." He looked down to the ground, "For us."

I laughed bitterly, "You broke up with me. In the woods. You told me you never loved me, that I was basically just a way to kill time, and then you just left me there. In what world is that doing what's best?"

His movement stopped, he whirled around to face me, anger and disbelief reflecting clearly in his golden eyes. "It was the only way you would move on! If you thought I loved you, that you were everything to me, you wouldn't have believed me!"

A bark of laughter left my lips, sounding ominous as it echoed in the empty yard. "Here's a tip Edward, for the next time you make a human fall in love with you. You don't take them to the _woods_ to dump them. You don't drive the knife in further by telling them you never loved them. You don't rip out their heart then decide to take their self-esteem too by saying they were nothing more than a play thing. You don't wipe out your existence so they're left feeling like a crazy person who imagined it all. And you certainly don't leave them when there are vampires who are just lying in wait for their revenge!" I hissed, my anger bubbling over at the audacity of his statement. My feet glued to the ground to keep from rushing over to him and slamming my fist into his face. I held my ground and the remnants of my sanity, barely refraining from outright attacking him.

So far, my plan was not working out. But again, I should have expected that; they rarely ever did.

His mouth opened and closed, his retort seeming to have died on his lips. My eyes narrowed and my legs started to move of their own volition, circling his prone body and coiled to attack. "What? Nothing to add?" I growled at his stunned silence, flirting with the edge of disaster and restraint.

"I-I didn't think it would be that bad." He stammered, eyes downcast and shoulders slumped.

A manic laugh bubbled from inside me, "Didn't think it would be that bad? It's no wonder you don't have a mate." I continued to circle him, like a shark in the water once the scent of blood hits its nostrils.

His forehead creased and his eyes flashed, "_We_ are mates, Bella. I know I hurt you by leaving but this happened for a reason," he growled angrily, his demeanor changing from guilty to angry in the blink of an eye. "You and I belong together. If this has taught us anything, it's that we were meant to be." His eyes followed me as I walked around him.

We both heard the rumbling growl that came from the front of the house and I knew Jane had to have been pissed; I was actually a little surprised she hadn't stormed back here and beaten Edward to a pulp. There was no doubt in my mind that she was getting angrier and angrier at the fact he kept throwing out that him and I were mates.

If someone were doing this to her, I don't think I would have exercised as much restraint. '_Huh_' I thought, making a mental note to digest that tidbit of information later.

I stifled my smile at the growl and focused on the topic at hand. My head shook to clear the fog, "You're right, you did hurt me; you left me broken and didn't even look back. And this did teach me something," I paused and closed my eyes, "I learned that I fell in love with a twofaced, arrogant, manipulative, controlling _ass." _I clenched my teeth together and moved closer to him, "I will _never_ be with you. I would rather willingly walk into a wall of flames than be with you for even a second."

His frown deepened before it morphed into a smirk, "You can't fight the bond, Bella. We'll always end up together. When you were human, you stood a chance but now that you're a vampire, it's impossible."

I laughed heartily, knowing full well how impossible it was to fight the bond, "I already know about the mating bond between vampires, Edward." I managed to say between fits of laughter.

His eyes softened, "So you see, then?" His face leaned into mine, his typical crooked grin in place.

"I do." I whispered, "And I'm so glad Jane and I have stopped fighting the bond and embraced it." I smiled widely, mentally memorizing how his eyes darkened and his grin fell.

His head shook furiously, anger making his golden eyes pitch black. "Jane?" He spit, sounding thoroughly disgusted.

I could hear the gasps that resounded from the inside of the house but paid no attention to anything other than the fuming vampire before me. His fists clenched and his jaw tightened, "You can't be with _her._"

A pale hand shot out and grabbed my upper arm, squeezing with all his might, though it was pointless with my shield up, "You. Are. Mine." He hissed angrily, venom dripping from his clenched teeth.

"Whatever _she _has done or told you is a lie!" His teeth remained clenched as a dark grin appeared on his face, "You can't fight fate."

My eyes dropped to his hand, which was still squeezing my arm. I didn't even hesitate to act. I had wanted so badly to give him a crooked nose to go with that stupid crooked smile of his, and while I probably wouldn't get my wish that wasn't going to stop me from trying.

I reared my hand back and slammed my fist right into his face.

The satisfying _crack_ that resounded was music to my ears and I couldn't stop the fury bubbling within me even if I had tried. One hit was all it took to release the floodgates and I was helpless to stop it, not that I really wanted to.

His body flew back into the tree line like a limp ragdoll; shock at my actions keeping him from reacting properly. I smiled savagely as I blurred over to him, kneeing him in the chest and pushing him through the trunk of the tree he had slammed into.

Clearly having caught on, his body twisted in the air as he dug his feet and hands into the ground, coming to a complete stop. "Bella, stop it!" He shouted, the authority in his voice falling on deaf ears.

My smirk was the only response he got as I ran towards him, narrowly avoiding his arms as they tried to wrap themselves around me. I stopped behind him and put as much force into kicking his knee out as I could.

Edward fell to the ground, his face slamming into the dirt. Before he had a second to move, my body was on his, pinning his limbs to the ground.

I lowered my lips to his ear, whispering so quietly that the prying eyes and ears nearby didn't have a chance in Hell of hearing it. "You'd do best to keep your hands to yourself, _Edward_" I hissed, sounding and feeling angrier than I had ever felt before. "You forfeited any right to a relationship when you left me in those woods. You abandoned me, leaving me to fend for myself knowing I had no real shot at living a 'real human life.' You're a coward and if you so much as look at me the wrong way, I will make the rest of your existence a living Hell."

My lips pressed even closer to his ear, "I won't kill you Edward, that would be too easy. I will tear you limb from limb, put you back together and do it again. And when that stops hurting, I'll find a myriad of ways to inject venom into your system, and then I'll start pulling you apart all over again. I will make it my mission to make sure that by the time I'm done with you, you'll be begging for death." My grip on him loosened, "Little Bella Swan is all grown up, Edward, and she doesn't take kindly to those who wrong her. And you, _love,_ have wronged her badly."

I dropped my hand and stood from his prone body before landing a swift kick to his side, watching him slide into a nearby tree.

I didn't bother looking at him again as I continued my patrol, uncaring of what happened next but knowing that if he tried anything, I wouldn't hesitate to carry out my threat. I was forbidden from killing him, but torture wasn't off the table. Not yet at least.

I smiled devilishly as I walked away, thoughts of possibilities swarming through my head.

* * *

**Edward POV**

I rose from the ground and dusted myself off just before Carlise, Esme and Jasper came rushing over. For a brief moment, I wondered where Emmett and Alice had gone. I knew from not only Rosalie's words but her thoughts as well that she wasn't on my side and blamed me for everything that had happened to Bella.

Judging from Esme's and Jasper's thoughts, I could tell they weren't entirely on my side either.

Couldn't they understand that I had done all of this so Bella could have a shot at a real life? They had all agreed to leave when I suggested it, although Alice and Emmett had been reluctant at first, they had agreed.

I hadn't forced them to leave, so why were they suddenly acting as though I had done the unthinkable and forced them into it? Did they honestly think that I could foresee the unfortunate events that happened to Bella after we had gone?

I watched Esme take a step forward and my hands immediately shot out in front of me to halt her movement. "I'm fine, Esme," I assured her.

Her brow creased and her arms crossed defensively, "Edward, what were you thinking? You know better than to lay a hand on a woman." Esme admonished me.

I opened my mouth to respond but she cut me off before I could even get a word out. "And you have no right to stake a claim on her. You were the one who wanted us all to leave. You broke up with her so she could have a chance with someone else, well, now she does. You have to live with the consequences of your decision." Her voice and thoughts were clear that the subject was not up for debate.

I turned to Carlisle, hoping for some sort of support but the look in his eyes told me I wasn't going to be getting any. My hand tugged carelessly at my hair, "Carlisle?" I asked, hoping he would change his mind and back me up.

He sighed and shook his head sadly, "Esme's right, son. You ended things with Bella; you need to accept that she's moved on."

I couldn't believe this. "None of you understand." I shouted angrily, not liking that everyone was ganging up on me. "You have your mates, you don't know what it's like to be alone and have the love of your life suddenly mated to someone else."

Esme's eyes softened, "Edward," she said quietly, but I wasn't about to take her pity.

"Don't," I growled angrily, "I know that Bella and I will be together. I left her but we _will_ be together." I refused to believe that things between me and Bella were over. There was just too much history for things to have just ended.

I turned on my heels and took off into the forest, ignoring their shouts and moving as quickly as my feet would take me.

I don't know how long I was running but after a moment, the jumbled thoughts of someone behind me caused me to stop. My heels dug into the ground as I whirled around, prepared to face whoever was following me.

I realized too late who was there and immediately regretted leaving the safety of the house.

My eyes narrowed and my teeth bared as I came face to face with my competition.

"Jane," I growled, hating her even more for the arrogant smirk she wore.

The moment her name left my lips an unbearable pain tore through my body as I dropped to the ground.

* * *

**You guys asked for some of the POV's of the other Cullens so that'll happen in the next chapter. **  
**I'm not entirely done with it but it'll have Alice's, Jane's and Rosalie's POV.**

And the Bella/Edward drama is far from over. 


	13. A Fresh Perspective

**Jane POV**

I hadn't intended to confront Edward; I knew this was something that Bella needed to take care of on her own. If I interfered while she was laying into him, I knew it wouldn't go over well. But while she needed to do this by herself I knew it was impossible and completely unrealistic that I would be able to stay away entirely.

When I heard the ridiculous things he was saying to her, how he deflected at every turn and refused to take even a modicum of the blame for what happened once he left, it basically sealed his fate. There was no way I could let that go.

So I had no choice but to wait for Bella to say what she needed to say before I made my move. With the way she left him beaten on the floor I doubted she would mind if him and I had a little heart to heart.

Everywhere he turned he was being told that everything rested on his shoulders, that he was the one who had to accept the blame and consequences for his choices. Of course, when pretty boy heard that he threw a tantrum and ran into the woods.

I took that as my chance to get him alone and took off after him, making sure to keep my presence hidden until he was far enough away from everyone else.

He must have sensed me because when I was only a few feet away from him he whirled around, his face twisted into an angry scowl the moment his eyes met mine.

I couldn't help the smirk that made its way to my lips as my anger finally had an acceptable outlet. I didn't waste any time sending him crippling waves of pain, and I took great joy from the way his body locked and dropped to the ground as he seized in agony.

Stifling my laughter at the sight I mentally soaked it all in, wanting to preserve the memory of his pain for as long as I could.

Bella was far nicer than me in this regard. She was right when she said I was the brute strength in this relationship while she was more of a wordsmith. That's not to say that she didn't use violence but it tended to be when her emotions got the best of her, when it was necessary or when she was threatened.

I, on the other hand, didn't hesitate to show my displeasure with others. And that usually took the form of them in pain and on the ground with invisible flames licking at their insides.

Years of ruthlessness made me capable of such measures and I didn't doubt that if Bella stayed with the Volturi long enough, she might become like that too. It had been an internal struggle on whether or not that was a good or bad thing.

Bella was by no means weak but she still allowed her human memories and emotions to rule her and to a vampire that could be a sentence worse than death. This trip, while torturous and emotionally crippling for her would hopefully set her free from her human restraints.

I could only hope that when this trip was over she would be able to walk the fine line of ruthlessness and humanity.

I sighed as I looked down at Edward's pain marred face, trying to see what my Bella could have possibly seen in him. Sure he was handsome but that was quickly eclipsed by his self-flagellation and his need to control everything.

"Tell me Edward, do you still think Bella is your mate?" I asked calmly, relishing the fear that passed through his eyes.

He groaned in pain, his mouth pressing in a tight line to keep the screams of pain from escaping.

"Come now Edward, I can't stop this until you answer me." If he wouldn't take Bella's word for it then I would torture him until he accepted what was. Bella didn't need him constantly badgering her and acting as though he was the reason she existed.

Edward continued to wriggle on the ground, refusing to let anything but muffled moans escape his mouth.

I shook my head in disappointment, not liking that he somehow managed to suck the fun out of my torture plans. '_He's such a buzz kill,_' I thought with distaste as my foot pressed firmly into his throat.

"I realize that you're hardheaded ways might keep you from absorbing the information I'm about to tell you so I'm going to continue to torture you until I feel the words have penetrated that thing you call a brain."

I grimaced as I looked at him; finding the more time I was around him the more pathetic he seemed to get. I wondered if Aro would be upset of Edward just so happened to disappear. I filed that away for later discussion before turning my attention back to the reason I was in these woods in the first place.

I crouched down, "You see, you're first mistake, _Edward_, was that you left Bella." I flicked his forehead with my fingers, "What kind of an idiot leaves a woman like her? Are you mentally challenged?" I held up a hand to stop the nonexistent protest, "Wait, don't answer that."

"You're second mistake was leaving her at the hands of a vampire who was seeking revenge for her mate; the very mate that your family killed." I tsked and flicked his forehead again, enjoying the angry hisses it elicited.

"I mean, what kind of an idiot does that? Just takes his human girlfriend to the woods and dumps her. Did you even think about the dangers that posed?" Another flick, "Or that Victoria or Laurent might come to the Volturi and tell them that a human knew of our existence and the vampires who told her had no intention of turning her? Did you think that would go over well with Aro?" I sighed.

"You didn't even want her to become a vampire, isn't that right? That's the whole reason you sucked James's venom out, right?" I asked, already knowing the answer and knowing he wouldn't be able to respond, even if he wanted to.

"I guess now that she's been, as you would say, 'damned for all of eternity' she's worthy of being with you, right?" I couldn't believe the crap that this guy thought. It was as though he thought by breaking an innocent girl's heart, that he could somehow redeem himself and now that she had been sentenced to the same fate as him, they were now free to be together. Apparently, as long as he didn't turn her, it was okay.

It was pathetic to say the least.

"Did she really even love you?" I asked, wondering how much of their relationship was purely infatuation and well utilized glamour and how much was actual love. Based on this little encounter, I didn't think it was Edward's simplistic and self-sacrificing personality that kept her around.

I grabbed him by his neck and pulled him off the ground, "Or was it all just a cheap vampire parlor trick that made her so willing to give up everything for you?" I tossed his back to the ground.

"I loved her and she loves me," he said between his clenched teeth and locked jaw and I couldn't help but laugh wildly at his words.

"Come now, Edward, you can't honestly believe that. Not after what she _just_ said to you." I knelt again and brushed some of the dirt off of his shirt, "I suppose I should be thanking you though. I mean, if it weren't for you leaving her, she never would have been turned or come to Volterra and I never would have met her." My head tilted curiously as a wicked smile pulled at my lips, "I guess you're like our own little Cupid, huh?"

His eyes widened before a snarl left his lips and he tried to lunge towards me, despite the crippling pain that was ripping through his body. "Snarl all you want, pretty boy, it won't change the fact that I got the girl and you didn't." I taunted, enjoying the look of pure hatred that blazed in his eyes.

I giggled with glee before stopping my ability and turning to walk away, having rubbed enough salt in his wounds for now. I wanted this torture to last as long as possible and who knew how long Bella and I would be staying in Forks. It wouldn't do to end this fun so soon.

Edward's voice called from behind me a moment later, "You know she'll never love a monster like you. She'll see you for what you are and then she'll come running back to me."

The cocky confidence in his words made me pause and reconsider torturing him some more. I sighed before turning around and running towards him. Before he could even react, my hand wrapped tightly around his neck, "I can't say for sure if she'll love me, but that's entirely up to her. If one day she decides she can't be with me then I won't stand in her way but I'm certainly not going to take the coward's way out and abandon her like you did." I sneered, my disgust in this creature growing even more.

My hand tightened, watching with interest as the cracks in his skin spread further, "And she won't need to see me for what I am because I wear it proudly. I have never hidden who or what I am; she knows exactly what she's getting by being with me. And from what I can tell," I leaned closer, my mouth next to his ear, "she likes it every bit as much as I do."

I released his neck and kicked him square in the chest, "We'll be talking again soon, Eddie boy. There's no telling how long Bella and I will be here but by the time we leave, you and I will be like two peas in a pod." I teased venomously before walking back towards the house to find Bella.

* * *

**Alice POV**

I watched the events between Bella and Edward unravel before my very eyes. We all stood inside and watched, unable to tear our eyes away from the disaster that was occurring right before us.

Maybe it was the familiar comfort of denial or just a flat out refusal to acknowledge that us leaving had created such a huge ripple in Bella's life, but I don't think any of us truly believed what she was until she tore into Edward.

Sure, we had seen with our own eyes the extent of her power, her association with the most notorious coven of vampires and of course, there were the physical attributes that were a dead giveaway.

But even through all of that, I don't think we completely believed it.

The disdain and hatred in her voice made us all recoil, realizing just how badly we had messed up.

We were too stunned by everything they had been saying to realize that they were no longer in the backyard.

The cracking of a tree drew our attention back to the problem at hand. While Emmett and I remained in our place, Carlisle and Esme moved to rush to their aid.

Just as soon as the vision hit me, I saw it play out in reality. Emmett's arms shot out at as he stood between the doorway and our parents. His face was probably the most serious I had seen it in a long while. He furrowed his brow and stood protectively in front of the only way outside, "We shouldn't get involved." His somber voice only served to make his stance seem that much more serious.

I had to agree with him though, this had all started because we got involved in Edwards business and now we were all at fault.

"Emmett, you need to move." Esme said softly, her worry making itself evident on her face as she stared past Emmett and tried to see what was happening between Bella and Edward. I had a feeling she was more worried about what this was doing to Bella than what was happening to Edward.

I bounced on my heels, unsure of what to do.

When Emmett's arms folded tightly against his chest, his face darkened and his scowl deepened. "Whatever is happening between them doesn't involve us. It's because of crap like this that Bella bear ended up the way she is." He shook his head, his anger draining as he looked over his shoulder, "This doesn't involve us; we need to let them settle this."

Carlisle looked like he was about to object, after all he was Edwards biggest advocator, until Esme slumped against him and sighed sadly. "He's right, Carlisle. We can't keep getting involved in their affairs." She shook her head sadly and I found myself rushing towards her, my arms wrapping tightly around her.

"We'll get through this Esme. I may not have a vision to prove it but I know that if we just explain ourselves and apologize to Bella, she'll forgive us." I only half believed it myself, but I was hoping that if I said it enough times that maybe it would come true.

I missed my best friend and seeing what she was going through, basically on her own, was killing me. I was supposed to have her back and protect her, like a friend should, and instead I threw her away and walked away like she was nothing to me.

The guilt of what happened to her may not be weighing all that heavily on Edward but I certainly felt the burden on it on my back. Every time I saw the cold look in Bella's eyes I felt the stab of pain just a little more.

How could I just abandon my best friend? How could I have made such a big deal about us being close and then just give it all up.

I sighed and listened to the sudden quiet that surrounded us. After a moment, a dark figure started to make its way through the forest, and only when it reached the tree line did we realize that it was Bella. Her eyes were pitch black and she wore a cruel smirk on her face as she walked away.

"You should probably go check on Edward otherwise he'll just chase after her and then we'll have another fight on our hands." I looked to Carlisle and Esme, seeing as they were the only ones who could tolerate Edward enough to actually put up with his pigheadedness.

They both nodded and rushed towards where they suspected Edward was once Emmett stepped aside.

I looked at him, noticing that he still didn't look all that pleased with the way things were turning out

I sighed and Iook off out the front door and towards where I hoped Bella was.

I didn't bother waiting to see what Emmett was going to do, I had a feeling he was going to find Rosalie and talk his frustrations out with her. I knew of all the people to get hit with how things had gone down, Emmett and Rosalie were the ones who had been hit the hardest and immediately aligned themselves with Bella.

Emmett had always thought of Bella as a sister and he was the most reluctant of us all to leave. The idea of leaving her behind had torn him apart.

And now that Rosalie had seen the choice to become a vampire ripped from Bella's hands, she felt a kinship to her; both suddenly able to relate on the things they would never again have.

I shook the thoughts from my head and ran to the woods in front of our house, listening for any sign that Bella was near.

After running for a solid ten minutes or so I found her perched on top of a broken rock, her knees pulled to her chest as she stared blankly ahead. I debated whether or not to approach her, I didn't know how my presence would be received and since my ability was pretty much nonexistent around her, I had no idea how things would turn out.

While it was thrilling to not have constant visions, it was a more than a bit frustrating. It was clear after only a few hours without my gift that I had learned to lean heavily on it, using it almost like a crutch.

Without the assurance it gave me I felt empty and unsure; something I was not used to feeling.

I steeled myself and resigned myself to whatever fate had in store for me. I had been a terrible friend to Bella and if after this talk, she decided that we weren't able to mend things then I would accept that. I certainly wouldn't like it and would do my damnedest to change her mind, but I wouldn't force a relationship on her if she didn't want one.

I took a step forward. "Bella?" I asked hesitantly.

* * *

**Bella POV**

I took off to clear my mind: knowing that if I stayed any longer I wouldn't be able to keep myself from ripping Edward apart.

My moment of satisfaction was quickly giving way to the thunderstorm that was brewing inside of me. I was glad to have gotten chance to get things off my chest but I wished I hadn't let my temper get the best of me.

I had spent so much time going over how I would react if I ever saw him again and as more and more time passed, the mental speech I had prepared got better and better.

I probably shouldn't have put so much thought into it but in al of of ways, this confrontation had been fueling my fire. Because of him I was able to embrace what I was with ease, and it made me feel as though I needed to prove something to those around me. To show that I wasn't weak.

But despite the good it did, I still couldn't ignore the things I had wanted to say and didn't get the chance to say.

I dropped unceremoniously onto a worn boulder, my eyes staring off into the distance as I replayed everything. Mentally congratulating myself on certain things, berating myself for others.

I was torn between being satisfied with what I did say and getting the chance to at least say what had been on my mind and upset that I had so much more to say and didn't get the chance.

My time to decompress was cut drastically short when I heard feather lint footsteps approaching. I had hoped to put this off for at least a short while, but it seemed as though Alice was in a rush to clear the air.

While I appreciated the effort I knew it was much too soon. My tiff with Edward had ripped off the many Band-Aids I had slapped on my wounds and now they were open and on show.

Maybe it was just advantageous thinking on her part to have this talk while my walls were down, or maybe it was a culmination of everything that had been said up until this point. All I knew for certain was that I was running high on adrenaline and it was sending my emotions to places I didn't think they could go. It left me feeling raw and unstable.

This was either a very smart decision on Alice's part or a very stupid one.

* * *

**Alice POV**

I saw the tension that radiated through Bella's body as I got near and knew that this probably wasn't the best time for this talk. But hearing those things she said to Edward made me desperate to mend things.

To give her the shoulder she needed to lean on. To step up and be the best friend I had neglected to be.

"Are you okay?" I asked hesitantly, internally cringing at how stupid of a question that was.

Without my gift of precognition it seemed I lacked my usual confidence.

Bella didn't respond, in fact she didn't show any signs of recognition aside from the tension that kept her body rigid in its seat.

"Stupid question, I know." I rambled, as I tried to think of another approach.

My mind was drawing a blank and even as I tried to probe the future for some sort of guidance, all I got was white noise. "Maybe this isn't the best time. I want, no, I _need_ to fix this Bella, but..." the words died in my mouth. I was in no man's land and completely lost.

I started to rise from my seat when Bella finally spoke. "Just say what you need to say, Alice."

Her voice was cold and even while she spoke, she avoided looking at me. But despite that, I needed no other encouragement. Bella needed some sort of peace, some closure and most definitely an explanation; something we had neglected to give her.

"I am so sorry for leaving, Bella. I know I'll never be able to apologize enough for it but I'm determined to show you how much you mean to me." The words were tumbling out of my mouth and I wished that the filter in my brain would kick start itself.

I knew my words meant nothing to her, how could they?

What could I say that would justify leaving your best friend?

"I know I shouldn't have left, I knew it was wrong but when Edward told us we needed to leave we figured he knew what was best. You were his mate and when he said you needed space we took his word for it." I couldn't help but shake my head at how ridiculous this must be sounding to her because it sounded crazy even to my ears.

"Believe me when I say this Bella, had I know this would happen I wouldn't have agreed to leave. I would have stayed behind and protected you like I was supposed to."

My head swiveled to look at her profile, "No one should have to come into this life like that. Feeling like you have nowhere to turn and no idea what to do or even what you are." Snippets of my first few moments in this life flashed before my eyes and the guilt that had encased me seemed to grow heavier as the realization that Bella felt those same things. "You knew what we were but you didn't know the specifics. You lost us, your friends, and your family all at once and had to find a way to survive."

My head hung in a strange mixture of sadness and shame, "Waking up like that…" I sighed, "it's something the others wouldn't understand."

Bella's head suddenly snapped towards mine as her eyes narrowed, her jaw clenched tightly but no words left her mouth. She stared at me with incredulous and angry eyes.

I forced myself to refrain from flinching at the harsh look and held up my hands in surrender, "I just mean that no one else besides us and Carlisle woke to this life with no idea what to do or where to go from there."

Bella's eyes remained narrowed but she turned her head away from me, her eyes focusing yet again on something in the distance. "That's where you're wrong, Alice. You had your visions to guide you. Sure, you didn't have anyone to tell you the specifics but at least you had some sort of reassurance that things would work out." Her musical voice was cold and empty and she looked to be struggling to keep her emotions in check. "I had only a vague memory of Carlisle talking about the Volturi and even then I couldn't be sure they would even take me."

I watched as her shoulders slumped suddenly and her hair fell around her face, creating a partition between us. "I'm not angry with you…" She shook her head slowly, as though she were trying to shake the thoughts and words loose from her head. "I stopped being angry awhile ago."

I had a hard time believing what she was saying, despite the conviction in her words I knew you didn't just get over a betrayal like this. Bella was a forgiving and understanding person but no one could just get over this much pain. It just didn't seem possible.

Her sad voice drew me from my thoughts and I forced myself to focus on her, "I'm not angry, just hurt and disappointed."

I would have almost preferred it if she were angry. When people say that having someone be disappointed in them was worse than having them angry, I didn't usually believe them, but hearing it from Bella, it definitely changed my opinion on the matter. Anger I could try and fix; that was something that could be chipped away at but disappointment? She had every right to feel that way but I didn't know how to go about fixing that.

"I thought I had a family who would be there for me and when I needed them the most, they were gone. In the span of minutes I went from having everything to having nothing." Her shoulders bobbed and a humorless chuckle left her lips, "I know better now, though."

My heart plummeted and I couldn't help the wave of despair that crashed into me.

"We can be better, Bella." I looked at her earnestly, wishing her hair wasn't still blocking her face, "_I_ can be better. I wasn't the friend I was supposed to be but if you just give me a chance I can fix that. Please tell me this is fixable." I wasn't beyond begging, not at this point. I hadn't had friends; I didn't even think I had them when I was human.

If my visions haunted me then, then I highly doubted I would have been popular among the people I lived around. And even after my transformation and my welcoming into the Cullen household, I still didn't really have friends, not like Bella.

Sure, I had Rosalie but she was more of a sister than anything else. Edward and I talked and our abilities brought us closer together but in no way did I consider us friends. Again, he was more of a sibling.

Bella offered something that none of them could and I was hard-pressed to give that up without a fight. She was my first friend, my best friend, and I couldn't let this happen.

Her hand gingerly pushed her hair behind her ear as she stared at me, her eyes showing the conflict that was warring within her. "Alice," she started and I knew it wasn't going to be something I wanted to hear. It was the sound of a letdown. "We can't go back to being friends. It doesn't work like that." She shook her head sadly, as though she were speaking to a child, "I'm not going to stay here. Once this assignment is done, I'm going back to Volterra."

My brain refused to process what she was telling me, refused to think that because of my stupid brother I had just lost my best friend. "But…" I stared at her in disbelief, "we can help you. You don't need to be with the Volturi anymore. We did this to you and we can help you."

Her eyes softened for a moment before the hard edge returned to them, "No, you can't." Her blood red eyes looked off in the distance, "I'm past the point of needing help."

Before I could respond I was hit with a vision. The image of Jane and Edward in the woods flashed before my eyes. I watched as he dropped to the ground and his body twisted in pain, her jaw locked tightly as Jane smiled happily.

I snapped back to reality, my eyes refocusing as I turned back towards Bella; my mouth open to tell her what I had just seen.

She surprised me, not for the first time, "If it's about Jane and Edward, I already know."

My brow crinkled in confusion, "How? I only just got the vision."

Bella chuckled softly, her eyes softening again as she thought about something, "I may not have known Jane very long but I knew she wouldn't be able to resist paying him a visit. I could tell how much it was killing her to stay out here while he and I talked." She shrugged before hopping off of her perch, "I hope she doesn't kill him though." Bella mumbled to herself, so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even cast another glance at me.

I could only watch as she walked back towards the house, and most likely, towards Jane.

From what little I had seen of her, I didn't think this was the same Bella we had left, but, no one would be the same if they had to go through what she had. I just wondered if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

* * *

**Rosalie POV**

I couldn't believe my family. They were gathered in the house, probably eavesdropping on the entire exchange between Bella and Edward.

Did they honestly think that everything would go back to normal once those two saw each other?

They were driving me crazy with their obvious denial. It seemed like Emmett and I were the only ones who saw what Bella had gone through, everyone else being too wrapped up in themselves to see it clearly.

I may have looked ignorant to the things around me but I was observant enough to notice that almost every one of us could relate to what she had gone through and yet only my husband and I seemed to really grasp the magnitude of things.

Bella and I shared the loss of our humanity; forced to live with the fact that our human lives were ripped from our hands only to have this vampire life was thrust upon us. Neither of us had much of a choice in the matter and were now forced to live with the consequences of someone else's decision.

Sure, she had claimed that she was okay with what she had become but I didn't entirely believe that. She may not have wanted kids, or to graduate or get married with her parents watching while she was human but the 'what ifs' would eventually get to her.

She may not have wanted them then but I knew all too well that eventually she would start to miss what she didn't think she ever wanted.

I tossed the deer I had been feeding onto the ground and sat against the trunk of a tree. As I sat, I wondered if anyone else had seen or noticed the parallels that we all had with Bella.

Alice and Carlisle both shared the same entrance into this world; much like Bella's. Carlisle had to crawl and hide during his transformation and awoke knowing barely anything about what he was. He knew enough to know that he was a vampire but unwilling to feed on humans to survive and knowing he could never return home for it would basically guarantee his death.

Alice awoke much the same way; on the ground with no recollection of what or who she was and only having her visions to tell here where or what to do.

Both of them should have been able to relate to the story Bella told us; having firsthand knowledge of what it's like to wake up alone and scared, not knowing how you're going to survive or having anyone to walk you through it.

Esme could relate to Bella on the level of emotional turmoil that afflicted both of them. Maybe I was the only one who knew what Bella had wished for before Victoria bit her but if she told Esme what she told me, I had no doubt they could connect and relate to one another.

Both women wished for an end to their suffering and while Bella didn't take such drastic measures I had no doubt that if she had been alive long enough, she would have tried.

For Jasper, they both shared the need to have a purpose; to feel as though their existence had some reason behind it. He followed Maria and did as she wanted, helping to create a newborn army. Bella seemed to have done the same thing, except she sought out the Volturi, hoping it would give her the guidance she lacked and a place to fit in.

Emmett seemed to be the only one who didn't have that parallel, but then again, he didn't really need one. Bella was like a surrogate sister to him and he didn't need to have some commonality to make him want to connect with her.

A rustling behind me caused my head to snap towards that direction and no sooner had I thought of him, had he appeared by my side; his burly arms pulling me from the ground and wrapping them around my waist.

I welcomed the embrace, taking comfort in his presence. My hand gingerly cupped his face, worry etched onto mine, "What's the matter, Em?"

I had no doubts that it had something to do with what was happening between Edward and Bella. I didn't need to be an empath or psychic to know things were not only emotionally charged but bound to blow up.

"Bella bear," was the only thing he said, and it was the only explanation I needed.

I tightened my embrace and murmured reassurances into his ear, knowing how hard this was hitting him. "She'll be okay, Em. You've seen her, she's gotten tougher."

He pulled back and looked into my eyes, looking for any signs that what I was saying wasn't true. But he wouldn't find any because I knew without a doubt that if anyone could come out of this on top, it would be Isabella Swan. I may not have liked her when she was human but I knew she had a fierce tenacity and it seemed to have only gotten stronger since becoming a vampire.

"You'll be arm wrestling and beating her in video games in no time."

He smiled weakly before sitting on the ground and pulling me into his lap. "I know it sounds bad but I'm kinda glad she's a vampire." His chest rumbled as he spoke his confession, his voice sounding much softer than usual but still holding that familiar joy.

I nodded absently, unable to disagree with him.

* * *

**Unknown POV**

I couldn't believe I had to come all the way down here to watch these pathetic excuses for vampires.

I was a vampire, I should have been out killing people and having fun but instead I was being forced to watch the yellow eyes.

Feeding off of animals, my god, it was disgusting. The mere thought made my gag reflex kick in. How could this coven claim to be vampires when they couldn't even handle the most basic of things like feeding from humans?

I watched silently as the final Cullen arrived at the house and I took off through the woods, more than ready to relay the information. I was tired of watching those vile things and wanted nothing more than to be relieved of my duty and off having fun, like I should have been.

I crossed over into Canada, grinding to a halt when I found my intended target.

"They're all there." I told him, my head downcast as I stared at the ground.

"Isabella and the Cullens are back in Forks?" He asked, his French accent making his words sound so much more ominous than they should have been.

I wondered briefly if I could do an accent. I would probably do a German one, those always sounded intimidating. I made a mental note to try that out the next time I went hunting.

I was drawn from my thoughts when his dark hand shot out and slammed into my face, "I asked you a question." He said harshly, his teeth clenched in annoyance.

Nodding feebly, I averted my gaze. "Yes."

Suddenly, a smile spread across his face and he turned on his heel, "Good. Get everyone ready, we leave tonight."

I shivered at the menacing tone he used but complied.

I doubted the Cullens knew what kind of pain was in store for them.

* * *

**Next chapter within the next two or three days. **


	14. Reassurances and Interventions

**As most of you noticed, the last chapter didn't cover the Cullen's reaction to the mention of Bella and Jane being mates. That much fun couldn't be contained in just one chapter, so it gets its own! Individual POV's for all of them are covered after Bella's POV. **

* * *

**Bella POV**

I walked away from Alice, my main focus being Jane.

I knew if I stayed there and listened to her try and convince me to stay that it would take a turn that wouldn't be pleasant for either of us.

To them, the Volturi weren't good for me, they all saw them as the incarnate of evil and probably thought that if I stayed with them that I would turn evil myself.

But how could I hate the organization that saved me? That took me in and taught me what I was? How could I hate the very thing that introduced me to my future and Jane?

Maybe none of them understood, maybe they just couldn't comprehend how much I valued being a part of the Volturi because they didn't understand what it was like to wake up and feel completely lost and alone.

To feel as though everything that you thought was in your grasp was suddenly gone; ripped from your hands.

I had that. I had a boyfriend I loved and who I thought loved me in return, I had a father who loved me, a vampire family that I thought loved me and I had a future. And then in one fell swoop, it was all gone. Edward was gone, his family was gone, my father was gone, my future was gone; it was all just gone.

So how could I turn my back on the very thing that made me feel grounded? That gave me a purpose when I was left feeling like I had nowhere to turn and no one to turn to?

And if they felt this way about the Volturi, I was certain to get an earful about the company I chose to keep. Jane was my future and I had no doubt that if I had stuck around Alice any longer I would get to hear her compelling argument for why Jane and I weren't mates.

Frankly, I didn't care what any of them had to say on the matter. I could try and mend fences and move on but I wouldn't stand by and watch my fledgling relationship be badmouthed.

My head shook as I tried to clear my head and just as I stepped onto the driveway, I felt her presence behind me. I whirled around and came face to face with a smirking Jane.

Going by the devilish look on her face I could only assume she had fun doing whatever she had done to Edward. "Have fun?" I asked wryly.

Her eyes continued to gleam with glee and mischief, "Oh, yes." There was nothing but pride in that answer.

I couldn't help but smile fondly, "He's still alive, right?"

Jane's smile faltered, her eyes darkening slightly, "Unfortunately yes," her distaste was made startling clear with that response.

I rubbed her shoulder comfortingly, "I'm glad you didn't kill him."

Her eyes snapped towards mine, an unpleasant scowl on her face as she attempted to stare me down. "What?" She asked incredulously.

I paused for a moment and stared back, "I just mean that we're better than that." My shoulders bobbed.

Her scowl didn't disappear but her eyes softened, "You might be, but I'm not."

Now it was my turn to look at her incredulously. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I'm not above killing him. I hate him. I didn't like him before but hearing the way he treated you and the way he seems to be clinging to the idea that you'll end up together, it makes me hate him with every fiber of my being." I watched her eyes darken even more, her normally bright red eyes fading to a deep burgundy.

I probably shouldn't have felt so happy to see her this way, but the venom in her words and her need to defend me sent a warmth rippling through my body.

I smiled softly, unable to resist from cupping her anger filled face, needing some sort of physical contact. "I didn't say that I didn't _want_ to kill him. I know we could do it but that doesn't mean we're actually going to do it." My hand slid into hers, "Besides, he can continue cling to that ridiculous idea because Hell has a better chance of freezing over than his stupid idea coming to fruition."

Her scowl slackened and I was glad to see I was getting through to her.

I didn't like see her like this and I knew it was because of Edward that a flicker of doubt lingered in her eyes. If I needed to stake my claim in front of the whole damn Cullen clan to show her I had no intention of running, I would do just that.

With a fierce determination, I forced her to meet my eyes, "I'm not going anywhere. I know exactly who you are and trust me; it's not going to scare me off. If I could put up with your angst while we were just partners on assignments I don't think being in a relationship will really change that."

Her eyes returned to their normal bright red but her brow was still furrowed so I pushed onward, not caring in the least if anyone was listening, which knowing them, they definitely were. "There are far more redeeming qualities in you than you think. You don't care what others think and you don't let them stop you from doing whatever the hell you want. You don't try to manipulate me or change me; you're willing to accept me for who I am, even if it annoys you to death. You're fiercely protective and won't hesitate to rip a vampire to shreds on my behalf. All of those overshadow the bad things and even if they didn't, I still wouldn't desert you. You're kind of stuck with me whether you like it or not."

I pulled her closer, "And if I have to, I'll prove it to anyone who doubts just how much I care about you. And if they still doubt us, then I'll rip them apart and burn the pieces."

Her usual smirk slowly spread across her lips, "I think I'm rubbing off on you," she remarked with unbridled joy.

I couldn't help but laugh at that, "I think you might be right."

Jane's eyes snapped towards a figure looming in the tree line, and from the low growl rumbling from them I had a feeling I knew who it was; I could smell his scent from all the way over here.

I couldn't help but wonder if his voyeurism was a habit or just some odd fetish of his.

Either way, it didn't matter. I wouldn't have him messing with Jane's confidence in our relationship. It was still a bit too new to handle constant hits of doubt.

I grabbed her face in my hands, forcing her to redirect her gaze towards me; "You. Are. Mine." I growled, giving in to my beast and staking my claim.

I crashed our lips together and poured as much into the kiss as I possibly could.

The kiss was cut short when a rough hand grabbed my shoulder and just as my eyes opened I saw Jane being pushed backwards and away from me.

I could feel my eyes darkening and the deep rumbling growl that was building within my chest. My gaze snapped from Jane to the person responsible for our ruined moment.

Snarling viciously at Edward my hand snapped out and grabbed the side of his head, slamming it into the ground. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" I screamed, wishing I hadn't told Jane we were above killing him, because at the moment, I didn't feel that way.

"You can't be with her," he snarled back as he rose from the ground.

I took a menacing step towards him when I felt yet another hand on me, this one pressing against my chest.

My eyes lowered, prepared to rip the appendage off before ripping into Edward. I didn't know who I expected but I wasn't surprised it was yet _another_ Cullen. I narrowed my eyes at Alice, "I suggest you remove that hand before I forcibly remove it."

Her hand immediately dropped but she didn't move from her place between Edward and I. "Bella, I know you don't love Edward anymore and I understand why but that doesn't mean you're mated to Jane." Her golden eyes darted towards Jane, who stood off in the distance.

Our red eyes locked and I wondered why she wasn't coming closer.

And then I saw the brief flicker return to her eyes and I couldn't help the roar of anger that swept through me and echoed through the surrounding area.

I was new to this whole thing but that didn't mean I was willing to stand by and allow others to butt into my affairs. I was here on an assignment, not to socialize.

My brow furrowed and I could tell my face was slowly twisting into an angry scowl; it must not have looked pleasant because suddenly Alice took a step backward and soon Edward was following.

I couldn't understand what made them think they had any right to an opinion on the matter. My eyes moved from Alice towards Edward, my mind trying to figure out which one deserved to be ripped apart first.

As I tried to make a decision, Alice took it upon herself to speak up again. "Bella, you don't need the Volturi and you don't need Jane. We're all sorry we left you but we're here now and we can help. Whatever Aro has told you is a lie, there's no way you and Jane could be mates." Her golden eyes flickered towards Jane, who was visibly shaking with rage, "There's a reason her and her brother have been unmated for so long."

Alice's eyes softened as they turned back towards me, "Maybe you and Edward aren't mates but what are the odds that you, one of the strongest shields, ends up with the other strongest member of the guard?" Her head shook, "Do you think Aro is above having Chelsea make you and Jane believe you belong together?"

My eyes skittered over to Jane as the words sunk in. "No, I don't think he's above that," I said slowly, knowing beyond a doubt that Aro wasn't above a lot of things. His moral compass was pretty much nonexistent but that was nothing new to me. "But I know what I feel and even if that wasn't the case do you honestly think I would take your word for it?"

My eyebrow rose in challenge, my body thrumming with anger, "Did you think that ripping apart my relationship would send me running back to you and your family? That I would be grateful for this and be your best friend again? That it would make me want to give Edward another chance? Give you all another chance?"

"Was this some ridiculous last ditch effort to get me to be your best friend again? To get me to stay here?"

I glared at Alice, willing her to say something.

Her mouth opened and closed before a sudden resolve settled in her eyes. "Bella, they're the _Volturi_! There's a reason all vampires fear them! They are underhanded and will do anything to attain power and you aren't exempt from that!"

I scoffed and rolled my eyes, wondering if she thought I was an idiot or that I hadn't figured that out within the first five minutes of being in Volterra. "Do you think I don't know all of that? I knew exactly what I was getting into when I went there."

My teeth were grinding together in frustration; I didn't think I needed to explain my actions but it was becoming clear that they wouldn't stop trying to fix things until they understood that nothing needed to be fixed.

They couldn't make up for their mistake by trying to fix ones that didn't exist.

"Aro doesn't need to try and trick me into staying. He doesn't need to manipulate me or create a fake bond between Jane and I."

Alice shook her head sadly, as though she thought I was being naïve about it all. "Oh, Bella, you don't know what Aro is really like. He keeps Chelsea there to strengthen the bonds of everyone on the guard. It's how he ensures their allegiance to him."

"I'm not an idiot Alice, I'm well aware of that. Why else would he keep her around?" Now it was my turn to look at her like she was naïve, "I went there willingly and like I said earlier; I have no intention of leaving."

There was a quiet gasp from behind me and I turned to see Esme slowly approaching me, her eyes filled with a sorrow I couldn't quite understand. "You're going back to Volterra?"

If I had one weakness here, it was Esme. Everything about her screamed 'compassion' and 'motherly' and that sad look in her eyes was almost too much to bear. But deep down, I knew I couldn't stay with them; our lifestyles wouldn't mesh well.

My scowl disappeared in an instant and a sad smile pulled at my lips, "I'm only here to finish this assignment." I shrugged, "I don't want your lifestyle. I don't want to move from city to city and repeat high school a hundred times; never getting close to anyone."

I looked back towards Jane, "I have a purpose on the guard, I have friends there and I have Jane. I doubt she would give up everything she's worked so hard for just so she can graduate over and over again and drink from animals."

From the look on her face at the mention of feeding on animals I figured I was right.

"But you kill people! Doesn't that bother you? My Bella could barely stand the sight of blood," Edward shrieked, his hand running through his disheveled hair in frustration.

And just like that my anger was back with a vengeance. "Do you think killing animals is any better than people?" I asked, my hands clenching tightly to keep from doing something I would undoubtedly regret.

"Yes, I do. I don't take people's lives. The humans you kill have families, they have lives. You don't get to choose who lives and dies." His eyes blazed into mine before darting towards the patriarch of his family, looking for some sort of backup.

And that's exactly what he got.

"We're vampires but that doesn't mean we have the right to judge who is worthy of living and who's not." Carlisle's soft voice interjected, sounding like he had given this speech a thousand times over.

"Every living thing on this Earth has a family." I pointed out, "Just like everything has a food chain. We just so happen to be on the top of it." The looks on their faces were making me feel like I was being subjected to an intervention. This must be what the vampire version of AA felt like.

Carlisle continued his lecture on the benefits of his diet choice, "But we don't need to go around killing, we're better than the beast within us. If we can survive on animal blood, why should we take a human life?" It was all a little too preachy for my taste and I couldn't see the appeal of the diet. In the end they were still killing something.

"How is killing a defenseless animal any better than killing a human?" I didn't see much of a distinction. "What, just because you can't understand them when they feel the pain of your teeth sinking into their flesh, it's okay to kill animals? Do you think that the deer or bears you kill don't have a family? Do you think their cubs or fawn don't care that their parent has just been killed? Everything has a family, every death makes a ripple, whether I kill a human or an animal something is losing a relative."

I took a step back from them and started to move towards Jane, "All of this is subjective and I don't appreciate being preached to. If I wanted to change my feeding habits, I would have. And Edward, I'm not going to tell you again; I am _not_ your Bella." My hand flailed towards Jane, "Did that kiss not clue you in to who I belong to or do I need to do it again so you finally understand?"

"Bella, you can't be serious! She's…" his eyes narrowed at her as he glared, "_vile._"

My hand grabbed hers, "I suggest you all get this out of your system now because when this conversation ends, if one person so much as looks at her the wrong way, I won't hesitate to tear you limb from limb."

Edward bared his teeth, his hands balling into fists as he stared at our joined hands, "What makes you think you belong with her? What, just because someone told you that you're mates you believe them?"

"No, I believe it because I can feel it."

"How can you even be sure? You've never been with anyone but Edward; no one's told you what the bond should feel like." Alice spoke up, taking a small step towards Jane and I.

"I don't need to be told how I should feel." I was really getting fed up with all of this. "I can feel it every time she's within a hundred feet of me. I hate seeing her upset. I love knowing that I get to see a side of her no one else gets to see. If I'm upset all it takes is the smallest touch from her to make it disappear. If that isn't how a mate makes you feel, then I have no interest in going out and looking. She's what I want and no one is going to tell me otherwise."

My hand tightened its hold on Jane's, "And what gives any of you the right to interfere in my life? You forfeited that the moment you left Forks. I'm not here to become a part of your family again. I'm not here to convert to a 'vegan' diet. I'm here because Aro doesn't want Laurent to kill you."

It was getting increasingly harder to not let my temper get the best of me but it seemed like they were intentionally trying to see how far they could push my limits.

My eyes narrowed, moving from one vampire to the next, "Allow me to make this clear," I took a steadying breath, "the bond that Jane and I have, is no concern of yours. What our relationship entails is absolutely none of your business. You don't get to stand there and act like you suddenly care. You don't get to pretend like you know what's best for me. I made it just fine without you and I don't need you meddling in my affairs in the hopes that it'll ease whatever guilt or shame you're feeling."

I gripped Jane's hand a little tighter, "This is not a problem to be fixed." I glanced towards Edward and Alice, "I'm not the damsel in distress anymore. I don't need either of you acting like I'm some naïve little girl who's still looking at the world through rose colored glasses."

"I'm only here for as long as this assignment takes. I don't care if you like my relationship with Jane, I don't care if you dislike my feeding habits, and I certainly don't care what your thoughts on the Volturi are. They offered me a place when I had none. They took me in when I was alone and confused. So far, they've done more for me than any of you have, so I don't care what you have to say because _none_ of you get to have an opinion on this. My life is not up for debate, you either deal with it or you don't. I couldn't care less either way."

I hadn't even been here for two days and I was already tired of this. I found myself wishing Laurent would hurry up and attack so I could go back home and get as far away from this drama as possible.

* * *

**Edward POV**

Bella couldn't be serious; there was no way she was honestly mated to _Jane_. Not only was Jane a ruthless killer but she was one of the infamous witch twins. How could Bella even contemplate a relationship with such a vile creature?

Jane was nothing but pure evil; she was a sadistic killer who had no remorse for the things she did. It didn't make sense how Bella could suddenly give up her conscience and sell her soul; not that it mattered since it was basically forfeit the moment she started to turn.

This was exactly why I hadn't wanted her to become a vampire; she had completely abandoned her morals and bent to the will of the Volturi. And all for what? A place to live or a reason to exist?

I'm her reason for existing! It's why I was drawn to her from the very moment we saw each other. I left to keep her safe but being the danger magnet she is, she ran right into the arms of the most dangerous creatures she could find.

Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she needed saving and I would be the person to do it. I would rescue her from Jane and the Volturi and then we would be able to start our lives together. The way it was meant to be.

She thinks she loves Jane but it's all just a mistake. Bella will see her for what she is; a monster. It's the reason Aro has kept her around for so long, because she's cruel and has no remorse.

But my Bella would see that in time. I would make sure she saw Jane for exactly what she was.

* * *

**Alice POV**

I was trying to help, trying to make her see how bad of an idea it would be to go back to Volterra. She didn't fit in with them. They were cold blooded killers who were obsessed with power and little else.

Bella wasn't like that, she was caring and selfless. So why wouldn't I try and stop her?

I might have been a little selfish in my desire to keep her here with us but I missed her and if she stayed with Jane then who knew what would end up happening?

I didn't protect her before but now was my chance to prove that I could. I could be there for her now and I just needed to make her see that by staying with the Volturi she would be giving herself over to the bad guys.

Aro wasn't someone she should be getting help from; we could be doing that. It was our fault she had to turn to them in the first place so we needed to make things right.

But looking at her now, with her hand in Jane's, I'm starting to rethink that.

I want to be selfish and have her stay with us so I can keep my best friend but I think it's finally sinking in that I've lost my chance.

Looking at her now, I don't think she needs saving and I don't think she needs our help either.

My eyes darted towards Edward and back to Bella; mentally noting that while his eyes remained on her, hers were trained on Jane. Those blood red eyes scanning the witch twin for any injuries.

I'm not going to lie and pretend like I suddenly like Jane and approve of their relationship but if I push any more then I know I'll just end up pushing Bella further and further away.

So, if she wants to be with Jane, I'll keep my mouth shut but I don't think it will last. There's no way Jane and Bella could be together, they're too different. Jane has no regard for life, human or vampire, and Bella, well, I don't really know.

But I know that they are just too different to last.

Like oil and water.

But if she needed support, I would give it. She deserved at least that much.

* * *

**Rosalie POV**

I personally didn't see the appeal in Jane. She walked around with a permanent scowl on her face and she never hesitated to hurt someone. In fact, it was common knowledge that she took quite a bit of joy in torturing others.

It was why she and Alec had risen in the ranks on the guard so quickly. They both had strong gifts and combined; the two were pretty much unstoppable.

He cut off their senses and she disabled them with pain.

But, while I didn't particularly like her, my opinion on the matter was irrelevant. You don't choose your mate and from the looks of it, neither of them had chosen each other but I could see why they made such a good match.

In the short time Jane and Bella had been here, I could see the changes in both of them. I could only assume that they were slowly adopting certain characteristics from the other.

Jane was, to put it bluntly, a complete bitch before. It's a testament to just how much if I could admit that; in fact, she was probably worse than me.

Now? She hasn't sent anyone to the ground in pain so either she was becoming less bitchy or her ability had stopped working. I was leaning more towards the former.

Hell, who were we to judge her for this?

You don't choose your mate; it's as simple as that.

But, Bella could have done better.

Edwards's eyes suddenly met mine and I mentally flipped him off, not liking that he was listening in on my thoughts.

Just because I thought she could do better didn't mean I wanted her and Edward to end up together. Bella had gotten a thicker skin since she turned and there was no way she would put up with Edward's controlling and manipulative behavior.

That ass deserved to see how big of a mistake he had made and I'm glad Bella wasn't going to hide her relationship. I wanted to watch as it rubbed salt in Edwards wounds; he deserved every ounce of pain he got for what he did to Bella.

Edwards started to growl and I rolled my eyes, '_Get over it Edward! You lost her and not to just anyone. You lost her to Jane!_'

I smirked when his anger grew and he glared at me.

I didn't give a crap what he thought; if he didn't like my thoughts he should stay the hell out of my head.

* * *

**Esme POV**

It felt strange to look at Bella and not see the endearingly clumsy and compassionate girl we had all grown to love. But what was worse than that was to see her as a vampire and to hear about the things she's sacrificed to survive.

I'd spent so much of my time caring for and raising this family. Despite the fact that they're vampires, I'd like to think I've helped them grow into the people they are now. We've tried to help them become someone they could be proud of, someone who, even though they were no longer human, could belong, even if that only meant going to high school or college as we bounced around the world.

I wanted to protect them and make them happy, because that's all a mother really wants from her children; to know that they're happy and living life in a way they could be proud of.

When Bella came into our lives, I thought I was gaining another child. Except, Bella wasn't like the others, she was different. Not because she hadn't spent a century with us, not because we thought she was Edward's mate, maybe not even because she was human, but because for once, I felt like I was a human mother again.

I took pride and joy in the fact that for once, Bella didn't have to be the parent; that she willingly allowed me to step into the mother role. It was more than I could have ever asked for.

And looking at what she's become now, what we've all contributed to in some way, breaks my heart.

We all thought that leaving was for the best. We had all witnessed how close she came to dying at the hands of not only James but Jasper as well.

It might have been my motherly instincts to protect her but I honestly thought that if we followed Edwards lead and left her to grow into the amazing woman we all knew she would be, that it would be for the best.

But now, now I can see how wrong of a choice that was.

What we've done to her can't ever be undone and it breaks my undead heart to know that I could cause someone I held so close to my heart so much pain and anguish.

I don't know if I have the right to object to her life, to tell her whether I think she's making a mistake or not.

I don't know Jane, I only know of her and most, if not all of those things, are certainly not pleasant. I doubt they would nickname someone with a heart of gold a 'witch twin' but I'm in no position to judge.

It's obvious that Bella cares about her and from the mere fact that Jane hasn't forced anyone to the ground in pain; I can assume she cares for Bella too.

I have reservations about this all but I just want Bella to be happy again. After all the pain she's been through, I think it's the least she deserves.

While I had secretly hoped that she would stay with us, I can't really blame her for wanting to move on.

Looking at her now, I can already tell she's accepting what and who she is; and I was certainly right about her growing into an amazing woman. Not only does she seem fiercer but she still sticks up for what she believes in and no matter what, I'll always consider her a daughter.

If accepting who she is now and who she's with is something I need to do, I more than owe it to her to show it.

* * *

**Carlisle POV**

Spending just a few moments with Bella, it was abundantly clear that this was no longer the human we had left behind that short while ago.

I'm not entirely sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

On the one hand, it's good to see she's embraced who she is but on the other hand, I can hardly recognize her anymore.

Seeing who she is now only floods my mind with more questions than I can truly fathom.

She's obviously gifted and accepts who she is, but is that necessarily a good thing? So much has happened in such a little time frame that I can't help but wonder if Aro hasn't played some sort of part in it all.

Yes, we may have left her at Edward's behest but at no point did we think she would turn into _this_. We could hardly recognize who she was anymore.

Not only did she seem angrier and from her fight with my son earlier, perhaps a tad more violent, those were the smaller of the changes.

The girl who nearly fainted at the mere sight of blood was now drinking it from humans freely and without even the slightest hint of remorse. She had willingly joined the Volturi; an organization that was something I never thought she would have joined the ranks of.

But beyond all of that, the most disturbing part of this was her relationship to Jane. I had seen the things she had done when I was with the Volturi and to this day, it still disturbed me. Wrapping my head around their mating was something I didn't think I would be able to do any time soon.

I couldn't look at Jane and see someone Bella should be with, I could only see her for the monster I knew her to be. The vampire, who, along with her brother, took down dozens of vampires with nothing more than a glance.

While I could accept that Bella and Edward might not be mates, I don't think I could accept or approve of her relationship with Jane.

And from what I had seen of Jane, I didn't think Bella would accept her for very long either.

It pained me to think it, because looking at them together, I could see how much of a connection they had established but that didn't mean I was foolish enough to think that Jane could suddenly stop being the ruthless and sadistic killer she had been for centuries.

I liked to believe that everyone was capable of change; my family is a testament to that. But sometimes it was better to realize that while everyone is capable of changing, that doesn't mean they will. Jane didn't strike me as the kind of person to suddenly change who she was just because she had found a mate.

I could only hope that Bella would come to her senses and accept the help we were offering her and realize that Jane would never change and be the person she needed. I hoped I was wrong, but in this regard, I sincerely doubted that I was.

* * *

**Emmett POV**

'_Bella and Jane. Huh._'

Well, at least Bella hadn't completely changed. She still managed to shock the hell out of us and I'd be lying if I didn't admit that this whole thing was the funniest thing to happen to us in a long while.

After dealing with a moping and depressed Edward, I can honestly say this whole thing was a nice change. Okay, so maybe Bella bear wasn't the same person we had left behind but could any of us have really expected her to stay the same?

This whole Jane thing actually makes me feel worse for her than I did before. Of course, two girls being together is never a _bad_ thing and I would certainly love to discuss this more in depth with Bella later; maybe throw Rose into the mix, but it seems like all this crap was just sorta…dumped in Bella's lap.

I can't imagine what all this has been like for her.

It all seems like it happened so suddenly and the fact that we just up and left meant she didn't really have anyone to talk to so it's all just sorta been piling up.

Edward leaves her, we leave her, Victoria tortures and turns her, the wolves try to kill her, she joins the Volturi and God knows what crap happened there, she finds out Jane is her mate and now she has the looming threat of Laurent not only killing us but her as well hanging over her head.

Seems like a lot of stuff to try and process and it probably doesn't help that everywhere she turns someone is confronting her about something.

Honestly, I just want her to be happy again. I miss the Bella who would come over and play video games (terribly, but still), the Bella I could give bear hugs too, the Bella who couldn't walk on a flat surface without tripping, but what I miss most is how happy she was.

Maybe I'm the only one who sees it but she doesn't smile anymore, she doesn't have that Bella sparkle in her eyes anymore.

In fact, I've only seen if for a moment and that was when she grabbed Jane's hand in her own. So if Jane is what makes her happy and helps her cope with what she is, then I'm all for it.

I mean, what kind of person _wouldn't_ want to see two hot chicks together? Bella and Jane, totally weird combination, but I'm not going to badmouth them. If Jane makes Bella happy, I'm behind it 100%.

And if Jane breaks her heart I'll rip her to pieces because no one hurts Bella bear. Though her power might make that a bit difficult, but I'd totally find a way around it. I'll have to think about that…

* * *

**Jasper POV**

The feelings around me were almost too much to bear.

The things Bella had said left everyone shooting from one emotion to the next and all I could do was stand there and try to calm everyone down and not crumble under the weight of it all.

I could feel the anger and jealousy radiating off of Edward, the sorrow from Esme, the apprehension and distrust from my wife, the joy from Emmett, the annoyance and resignation from Rosalie and perhaps the most perplexing of it all was Carlisle, it was as if he were waiting for the inevitable to happen.

For Carlisle to feel that way, it was definitely unusual.

But besides those emotions, the most abundant things were confusion and shock.

We had all heard when Bella told Edward that Jane was her mate but Bella was right in a way, we had dismissed it and assumed it was a way to get back at Edward.

Really, what better way was there than to not only admit to being mated to someone else but to Jane, the single most feared member on the guard?

When my eyes landed on Bella and I tried to get a read on her, it was all a blank, like she was a void in this emotional thunderstorm.

But solely looking at her, I was sure she believed what she had said. And if I didn't believe it from her, the emotions rolling off of Jane basically proved that.

I hadn't encountered many female-to-female mates in our species and certainly hadn't encountered any with two individuals as different as Jane and Bella, but the bond was there. They were the proof that it could happen and in a world where vampires, shape shifters, and werewolves existed, their relationship didn't seem so hard to believe.

At Bella's birthday party, I had nearly ripped her throat out and drained her dry; I was the final straw that pushed Edward to leave her and uproot our entire family.

I didn't think I was in any position to judge her relationship but I could at least ease some of the guilt and shame that weighed on me with the knowledge that through this all, Bella had found her mate.

That's not to say that this wasn't all a little overwhelming but I would do my best to make sure that those who doubted the truth of their relationship understood that they were, indeed, mates. It felt like the least I could do considering how much my lack of control had cost her.

* * *

**The wolves will be showing up at some point during the next chapter because there's never a dull moment in Forks.  
As always, I appreciate all the feedback and follows!  
From all the reviews, I guess for a first story it's not going too badly, here's to hoping it stays that way! :)**


	15. Joint Endeavors With Unpleasant Company

After my extemporaneous speech, which seemed to be the only thing I had been doing since we got here, I stood next to Jane and just watched the emotions flutter across everyone's faces. I didn't know how things were going to go from this point onward but I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I would stand my ground.

I watched each of their faces for a second longer before Jane's hand was jerking me towards the woods out in front of the house and away from the gathered Cullens.

I couldn't say that the change in scenery wasn't welcome.

My brain was doing its usual overactive thinking. It was buzzing with thoughts and observations, a tornado of noise that seemed so loud I wouldn't be surprised if Jane could somehow hear it.

I was barely aware of where we were, too focused on silencing the obnoxious whirlwind of thoughts that were currently assaulting me.

Just as my feet stepped into the plush thicket of woods, my body was being pressed into a nearby tree and a pair of soft lips were on mine.

Any trouble I had at shutting my brain off quickly vanished. The storm of thoughts and noise was replaced by nothing but white noise.

It was strange to think someone could have this much power over me, that I was willingly giving myself over to someone I admittedly barely knew. But any and all doubt or uncertainty was vaporized the second I felt Jane near me or felt her lips on mine.

She was singular in her thoughts and actions. Whatever needed doing, she did. Guilt and second-guessing didn't exist for her; she was a woman of action. I was a thinker; I weighed everything and left nothing to chance. Everything was factored into my actions. We were polar opposites and that worked.

In everything else she was bold and dominant, almost aggressive but in this, she was passionate and tender. A stark contrast to her usual persona.

The kiss, while only one our first few, was just as great, if not better, than our first. It was a testament to our connection that the mere sensation of her lips on mine could send my brain into overdrive. The cogs in my brain that were constantly moving were suddenly halted, her soft and silky lips acting as the wrench that stopped all coherent thoughts and effectively shutting down the factory that was my mind.

Her lips moved with methodical precision and rhythm, almost as if it were a sensual dance that only we could perform. Her hands, which had started out cupping my face, slowly ghosted down my sides until they landed firmly on my hips. Her body was pressed flush up against mine, the sensation putting every nerve bundle and cell in my body on hyper drive.

Everything around me was simultaneously too loud and completely quiet. I was aware of the deer running about only a hundred or so feet from us, the wind rustling the leaves on the trees, the water running from a nearby creek. All of it registered in my head for barely a millisecond before vanishing completely. I was aware of it all but at the same time completely oblivious. It all dropped to the background, just whispers of noise that didn't seem at all important. My attention was focused solely on the gorgeous woman before me.

Jane's tongue swiped across my lips, and as if I were a secret password to a fortress door, they parted instantaneously.

Her tongue glided into my mouth, the feeling of its slow exploration causing a low moan to escape me.

No sooner had her lips descended upon mine, they were removed and trailing wet hot kisses down my neck. On instinct my neck automatically stretched to the side, providing as much access as possible.

The tree behind me groaned with the pressure our bodies were putting on it but I couldn't have cared less. My mind was too focused on pulling Jane closer; my hands too busy weaving themselves into her golden hair.

My nails raked lightly over her scalp and I took great satisfaction in the shudder it sent through Jane. Her eyes fluttered and I took that moment to flip our positions, pressing her into the tree as my lips hungrily attacked hers.

Her hands trailed up and down my back as my teeth gently bit down on her earlobe, eliciting a low moan.

The sound was music to my ears and my lips began their slow descent down her jaw and to her neck. My teeth grazed her marble flesh, the taste set my blood on fire and if my heart were still beating I had no doubt that it would have burst from my chest.

If I had thought her scent was intoxicating, it was nothing compared to her taste. It was addictive beyond belief and more potent than any drug on the market.

The lust induced haze that had settled over us had me pushing her harder into the tree, the cracking of the trunk indistinguishable from the sounds that surrounded us.

Thoughts were nonexistent in my head and I was riding on my instincts alone.

While I was with Edward, we had never got further than light kissing. His control was always an issue; his restraint made intimacy near before him, I hadn't much experience to go on. I was a recluse in Arizona and had only been kissed on a dare when I was younger.

But with Jane, now, it all seemed like a secondary action. Like it was all programmed into my brain and was the equivalent of breathing. Control wasn't an issue, strength wasn't an issue; none of it was.

So acting on instinct, my lips pressed to her neck, just at the crook where it met her shoulder.

Somewhere, in the recesses of my mind, I registered Jane's labored breathing on my neck, exactly where my mouth was hovering on hers.

As if my some unseen force, something akin to a magnet to metal, my teeth sunk into her flesh as easily as a hot knife through butter. Just as my teeth sunk into her neck, I felt a sharp pain in the exact same spot on my neck before a tingling tidal wave of heat coursed through me.

Our heads pulled back at the same time and the moment our eyes locked it was as if everything I had ever doubted or questioned, suddenly made sense. The world seemed to have shifted its rotation and the sun seemed to be shining solely for Jane. She seemed more important to me, as though her existence and mine were simultaneously intertwined and codependent on one another.

The world was as it had been, but now, it was as though a spotlight had dropped onto Jane and I was the only one who could see it. The only one who could _feel_ it.

Our red eyes locked and before I could think through what was happening, the words were already out of my mouth and floating around us. "I love you."

A beat passed and my eyes widened in recognition of the huge step we had just taken. That _I_ had just taken.

Before I had time to question her silence or let the sudden flood of anxiety within me spread, her hands were cupping my face and her lips were only millimeters from mine. "I love you too."

And then her lips were on mine and it was nothing like it had been only a few moments ago. It was...indescribable and so much better. As though it had been somehow missing something and now, it was there and like nothing I had ever experienced before.

If this was how the mating bond felt to vampires, I could understand the impatience to find one and the willingness to wait centuries until they showed up.

The force of our kiss caused the tree we were leaning on to suddenly give way and crack at the base.

We were too wrapped up in one another to really register that we were falling along with the tree and only the impact of our bodies crashing through the bark and rolling off to the side, separated us.

I couldn't help but smirk, "Well, there's one thing we can cross off our vampire checklist."

Jane's eyebrow rose, her eyes darting from the fallen tree towards me.

I shook my head and waved my hand towards the now demolished tree, "I feel like it's an unwritten law that you aren't really a vampire unless you've broken a tree while in the throes of passion."

"Do I want to know what the other items on the checklist are?" She asked, sounding just as amused as I felt.

I bit my lip in contemplation, "Probably not." My head tilted to the side as I considered the list, "I'll let you know as they happen."

Jane hummed in approval before her face went serious and her eyes locked onto mine. "So..."

I wasn't a complete master in the 'Jane body language' yet but I had seen this expression every time we had a serious or somewhat serious conversation and I wasn't entirely sure I was going to like where this discussion was going to go.

"So..." I parroted, unaware of which topic we were tackling.

"You love me?" I'm not sure if it was meant to sound like that much of a question but I figured I'd address it as such anyways.

"Well, yeah." I surprised even myself with the amount of confidence in that. "Did my grandiose speech earlier not clue you into that? Because, I'm not sure I can really top that one if I had to do it again." It might have been the heavy make out session, the oddly pleasurable twin bite marks we had made on one another or the sudden declarations of love we had just made, but it was a heady mix and it definitely had me feeling a bit more playful than normal.

Jane's head tilted in contemplation, her eyes boring into mine before her usual smirk took its place on her lips. "You _have_ been giving a lot of speeches lately." And just like that, the sudden tense air that had surrounded us broke and gave way to the usual calmness that enveloped us.

I sighed, "I know. I feel like some sort of preacher or something." My head shook slightly before a thought occurred to me. "You're giving the next one."

Her eyes widened before a malicious smile appeared and a devilish spark lit behind her eyes. "And if my speech consists of using my power?"

I saw that one coming; such a typical Jane thing. My shoulders bobbed as I pressed my back against the fallen tree, my legs crossing at the ankle. "Your speech, your rules. If you want it to be nothing but a symphony of screams, so be it." I picked up a twig and tapped her right shoulder then her left, imitating the knighting process, "I hereby give you permission to do as you please, whether it be through extensive use of your ability or otherwise."

Her eyes narrowed, almost as if she thought the whole thing was an elaborate trap I was setting up. "You're serious?"

I scoffed and leaned back against the tree, "I've said what I needed to say and made everything perfectly clear to them. If they still want to argue it then what happens to them is their own fault. We may be here to protect them from Laurent but that doesn't mean we have to listen to their judgmental thoughts on us or our relationship." I glanced over at her, willing my eyes to show how serious I was on the matter. "Do what you have to."

We sat in silence after that, not really needing to further discuss the topic and clearly not wanting to discuss what had started this conversation. It was avoidance at its best but I figured we would talk about things when we felt we had the time and privacy to do so. Besides, neither I nor Jane, more so Jane, was comfortable talking extensively about our feelings.

While we sat there, content to just be in the others company, the animals off in the distance suddenly got quiet and the already hushed woods went dead silent. The sound of heavy footfalls reverberated through the area as they neared the Cullen house.

The bubble of seclusion Jane and I had created suddenly burst as we took off towards the house; our protection detail taking precedence over everything.

We made it to the house and saw the Cullens were all still gathered outside. Edwards face was scrunched into one of disgust as his eyes scanned the woods, "They're here about the new vampires they smelled."

Just after the words left Edwards mouth the familiar stench hit my nose and I nearly gagged from the strength of it. The smell of wet dog and garbage shouldn't have been so potent but it was and whatever other sickly smells were mixed in with the wolves' natural odor were terrible.

Jane and I locked eyes and before the wolves burst through the tree line, she mouthed 'shield' and not a second later I felt the familiar cling wrap tight shield covering every inch of my body.

I could still smell the potent stink of wolves but at least my scent was cut off from theirs.

We all stood just outside the doorway; waiting.

The thumping on the ground got louder; the jumping of the gravel in the driveway indicating not only the size of the wolves but their distance from us as well.

I hadn't known what to expect when I saw them since my memory was hazy at best and my only interaction with them was when they blurred past me to kill Victoria and by then I was already transforming into a vampire.

Through all of that though, I hadn't quite expected them to be as large as they were. Some, probably the runts of the pack, were the size of a small compact car; others seemed as big as my old truck.

They broke through the tree line; their teeth bared as they snarled at us. Had they not been our mortal enemies or viscously snapping at us, I would have taken the time to appreciate the variety of colors their fur coats displayed. But as it was, they clearly weren't here for a friendly visit and were strutting around the place like they owned it.

After all the wolves had lined up before us, a tall, tan skinned man, somewhere around 6'4 emerged from the woods in jean shorts and nothing else.

"You've broken the treaty, Cullens." The man snarled, his face twisted in anger as he stepped to the front of the pack, his eyes locking onto Jane and me.

"We've done no such thing, Sam," Carlisle responded, his usual calm tone making itself known. For just a second I wondered if there was ever a moment he wasn't as cool as a cucumber. At some point he was going to face a situation where his calm demeanor and doctor skills wouldn't be able to bail him out and as cruel as it seemed, I wanted badly to see it unfold.

My thoughts were interrupted when the pack leader, Sam, pointed an accusing finger at Jane and I, "You've changed these two into vampires and added them to your coven. And they're _human drinkers_ too." He spat venomously, his body shaking with anger as he glared at us.

Jane and I both snorted in amusement at his observations, finding the thought of not only joining the Olympic coven but also drinking from animals, laughable.

"We aren't a part of this Coven and thus the Cullens aren't subject to any repercussions of our actions. Therefore the treaty is still intact." My tone reflected nothing but abject boredom and disinterest but inside I was fuming.

I may not have been able to see their faces but I heard their voices loud and clear and I certainly remembered that voice. It was the same voice that had wanted to kill me because I had been turned. The same voice that had commanded someone I considered a friend, to kill me too.

I wouldn't outright kill him but if the time ever came, I certainly wouldn't save him.

Sam's eyes narrowed so much that they almost looked closed. He bared his teeth and took a step forward, the wolves behind him growing louder as they growled and barked. "You expect us to believe that you're just, what, passing through?"

My fists clenched and my teeth ground together as I tried to keep my temper in check. "What we're doing here is none of your concern, _dog_."

His body shook harder at the insult as he took yet another step closer to Jane and I. "You are on _our_ land and if we demand to know what you're doing here then you _will_ tell us. If you refuse then it is within our rights to exterminate you, bloodsucker."

A hearty laugh left my lips as my face darkened, "You may have proclaimed yourselves the protectors of this land but you sure as hell don't own it. And if you think you and these mangy mutts can take us," my hand gestured from me to Jane, "then you are even dumber than I thought you were."

Before things could escalate any further, Carlisle stepped in, his palms out to show he meant no harm. "Sam, please, they are only here to protect us and subsequently the town."

I resisted the urge to scoff, not seeing the point in trying to appease the temperamental dogs.

"What's it matter? They broke the treaty by coming onto our land, we should just kill them. It's bad enough their _stink_ is all over the place." Rosalie sneered, her glare directed full force at Sam and the pack.

"Yeah, I'm with Rose. Let's exterminate some wolves." Emmett grinned broadly, his fist slamming into his hand as he cracked his knuckles. His head turned towards Esme, "Maybe we can make a wolf skin rug for the living room."

Emmett's eyes gleamed with unbridled joy while Esme looked stricken with horror at the thought. Her face scrunched up in distaste before she admonished her son. "We will do no such thing!"

Emmett's grin faltered but Rosalie rubbed his shoulder comfortingly, "It wouldn't have mattered, Em, we would never have been able to get rid of the smell of wet dog."

Emmett nodded in agreement, his excitement making another appearance.

"We will not be fighting the wolves, whether they broke the treaty or not." Carlisle said sternly, his attention quickly redirecting itself towards Sam."Jane and Bella are only here to protect us from a possible attack. They won't be here long and have kept their feeding habits away from Forks."

Sam scoffed before his eyes widened in recognition. "Bella as in Isabella Swan? Charlie's daughter?"

Suddenly, a russet brown wolf disappeared into the woods and emerged in similar denim shorts. I recognized Jake immediately and could only watch as he slowly walked towards me.

"Bella? Is that really you?" Jake sounded torn between pure joy and utter sadness.

My hand shot out to halt his movement, afraid that if he tried to hug me or come any closer, Jane would rip him apart. Wolves were fair game after all; what kept her from killing the Cullens didn't apply at all to the Quileute shape shifters.

"The one and only." I said dryly, my eyes darting from his face to Sam's.

"Thank god you're okay. I was so worried."

My eyes snapped towards Jake, my legs locking in place to keep from lunging at him. "Worried? Worried you and Sam couldn't finish what you started? Worried I got away before you both could tear me to shreds?" The sound of their heavy footfalls on the forest floor as they literally chased me out of town suddenly started to replay in my head.

Jake flinched but stood his ground, "I didn't want to do that, Bells, but I couldn't go against Sam's orders." His voice was pleading as his brown eyes gazed into mine, urging me to believe him.

My head shook in disapproval, "It doesn't matter. I'm not staying here and I couldn't care less what you or Sam do. I'm here to do a job and as soon as it's over I'm gone." It seemed easier to ignore the sting of betrayal and the hurt of knowing that had he caught me, Jake would have killed me. I didn't know the intricacies of being a shape shifter so I couldn't know for sure if what he was saying was true, but at this point none of it mattered.

I wanted to be out of Forks and as quickly as possible.

Jake glanced between Edward and I, "You aren't staying with him in Forks?"

I snorted at that, "Uh, no. We aren't together."

Jake glared at Edward, his eyes hardening as his body started to shake, much like Sam's had. "Is he the reason you're a bloodsucker now?"

My eyebrow arched in interest as I thought over my answer, "Technically, yes."

Jake ground his teeth together, his hand running angrily through his short, cropped hair. "This is what you call protecting her? I knew you were bad for her!" He screamed, his nostrils flaring.

Edward smiled crookedly, glancing between me and Jacob. "Jealous that you didn't get to be the one who saved her? Now you'll never get to be with her." Edward said cockily as he sidled closer to me.

My eyebrows knitted together before realization struck me. I stepped closer to Jane, not liking the implications Edward was making. "I don't know why you're acting like you beat him. You'll never be with me either, or is that message still not clear to you?" I snarked, enjoying the way his smug grin fell.

Jake glanced at me then back to Edward, taking his opportunity to look like the smug one. "She dumped you?" He said, his words dripping with amusement.

Edward snarled and stepped closer to me, his arm moving to snake its way around my waist, "We will always be together, _mutt_. You'll never have a chance with her."

Just as I was about to push Edward away, he dropped to the ground and cried out in agony.

Everyone, including Sam and Jacob, looked shocked to see Edward in pain. And I couldn't help but wonder if they thought that just because Jane hadn't done anything in front of them, that she wouldn't in general. If they did, then they were either incredibly stupid or ridiculously foolish. Sure, I had kept her from doing it because she was bored and wanted some form of enterainment but at this point, with everything laid out on the table, I didn't see the point.

I had meant what I said earlier, if she wanted to go ahead and unleash her power, then so be it.

Obviously, talking things out wasn't working too well, so maybe a little pain would speed things up. And, if by some chance Laurent thought that we were falling apart at the seams and decided to attack, well, that would be fine by me too. The sooner he made his move, the sooner Jane and I could go back home.

Carlisle cleared his throat, and I watched with interest as Jane glared at him. His golden eyes were focused on Edward who was screaming in pain as the flames of Jane's power licked at his insides. "Jane, would you be so kind as to release my son."

With even more interest, my eyes, along with everyone else's, moved to look at Jane. I wasn't entirely sure that Carlisle's request would go too well with her considering just how much she hated everyone here. But, she had a habit of surprising me so there was just as good of a chance that she would listen.

We all watched with rapt attention, even the Quileute pack had gone dead quiet. Jane's eyes met mine, a silent conversation passing between us in a matter of seconds, before our attention was drawn back to Edward.

Jane glared at Carlisle for a solid minute, her ability intensifying judging from the screams that were coming from Edward. After the minute had passed, and she effectively proved how little she cared for Carlisle's requests, she turned her attention toward Edward and kicked him away from us. He rolled across the ground, his body curling in on itself as her power continued to assault him.

Her arm curled possessively around my waist before she wiped the phantom flames from his body and directed her heated gaze towards the still quiet pack of shape shifters, Sam in particular. "If you so much as look at her the wrong way, I'll have no problem doing that," she pointed to where Edward was still curled in the fetal position on the ground, "to you and your whole pack of mutts."

Her tone made it clear that this brokered no argument but Sam either didn't get the message or just didn't care. His chest puffed out and his muscles flexed, "We have a treaty. No harm can come to my people or my pack."

While that line might have worked with the Cullens, he clearly hadn't been listening to what had been said earlier.

"You have a treaty with them," her gaze moved towards the Cullens, her voice dripping with distaste at the mention of a treaty with such foul smelling creatures, "not with us. We have no problem killing you and your whole tribe. We're sadistic like that." She smirked as if to prove her point and my lips automatically curled to mirror hers.

Jake's eyes widened as he stared at me, incredulity etched into every line of his face.

I stared back blankly, not even entertaining the idea of undercutting Jane's declaration. From what little I had learned, shape shifters could be temperamental and from their entrance, what with all the snarling and snapping, I didn't really think they would pass up a chance to kill us if they got one. The threat made it clear that if they tried anything, we weren't the pacifists Carlisle made his family out to be and would kill them the second we felt even slightly threatened.

"What…what happened to you Bells?" Jacob asked quietly, his eyes showing how much he refused to accept the being I had become.

"I grew up," I said with confidence and clarity. "I stopped being a pushover and stopped being weak. I decided to stop letting others make decisions for me and started making them for myself." My eyes darkened as my lips pulled back into a cruel smile. "I'm a vampire."

Jacob opened his mouth to comment but Sam furrowed his brow and silenced him. "Jacob, stop talking and shift back." His command was met with a frustrated growl, but Jake took a step back and burst into the large russet wolf he had been earlier. His shorts lay tattered and strewn across the driveway as he fell back into line among the other wolves.

Sam sized Jane and me up before folding his arms across his chest, "You two can leave. The pack will take care of any and all vampires that enter Forks."

The command and dismissal didn't go over too well with either of us and we just stared impassively at him. "We don't take orders from a mutt." Jane remarked with disgust, her face scrunching up at the mere thought.

Sam's chest rumbled as an angry growl slipped past his lips, his brows furrowing even more; "We don't want any more bloodsuckers here than necessary. If we say we'll take care of it then we'll take care of it. La Push and all of Forks is ours to protect."

I snorted derisively, "Yeah, we can see how good of a job you protectors seem to be doing. First there's James, who bit me, then there's Victoria, who, what was that? Oh yeah, she bit me and turned me, then there's Laurent and his newborn army. You guys are doing just a swell job of protecting Forks and its inhabitants."

Sam's scowl deepened as his body shook with more fervor, "James crossed the treaty line, there was nothing we could do. And as for Victoria, we took care of her and would have done the same with you had you not run." He took a step closer, standing just a few feet away from me, "And as for this Laurent, we'll be taking care of him too. Vampires are no match for us." His head swiveled back to look at the enraged and pumped up wolves behind him, their howls and barks resounding in the empty clearing.

My eyes rolled as I listened to the overconfident drivel Sam was spewing. They had caught Victoria pretty much unaware so it was understandable that they would think all vampires would be easy to kill but this wasn't one vampire, this was an army. It was pretty obvious that for as much as they proclaimed to be our natural enemies, they knew little to nothing about us. I guess the only thing they cared about was where the blood we drank came from. Everything else was irrelevant.

"I'd like to see how well you all manage against an army of newborn vampires. You kill _one_ vampire, who I'd like to point out was too wrapped up in bleeding me dry to really take notice of her surroundings, and suddenly you think you're all qualified vampire hunters. Get over yourselves." My eyes roamed over the agitated wolves, "Newborn vampires are stronger than normal vampires. They're faster, stronger, hungrier, and don't give a damn about anything but ripping everything around them to shreds. Impulse control is almost nonexistent. That's not even pointing out that some of them will undoubtedly have abilities. If you want to get yourselves killed go right ahead, but Jane and I aren't leaving until our job is done."

Jane's arms folded across her chest, her trademark scowl still in place. I had a feeling she was slowly getting more and more annoyed with Sam's 'alpha' attitude. Jane and I were not the submissive type and having so many take charge people around was not going to go well.

Sam glanced at his pack before looking back at us, completely ignoring the Cullens. "We're designed to kill vampires. Their strength is irrelevant; our teeth can cut through their flesh like it's paper. And we certainly don't need any advice from the likes of _you_."

"That's good because we weren't offering it. And this isn't your fight so why don't you go scamper back home and give yourselves a flea bath. You're stink is wearing down my patience and you don't want to be around when it hits zero." Jane sneered, her eyes already focused on the leader of the pack; the intent to cause pain shining clearly in her red eyes.

"Whether you want us to or not, we aren't leaving this fight to you; it's obvious you all can't be trusted. That's not to mention that this threat only exists because you can't handle your affairs properly." Sam retorted back, now directing his comments to the whole group.

Jane's eyebrow cocked before a smile spread across her face; at which point, Carlisle stepped between Jane and Sam. "If you want to help, we certainly aren't going to stop you. We'll have our hands full as it is."

"You are not in charge of this, Carlisle. Just because you've made yourself the leader of this coven doesn't make you the leader of everyone. This is our mission, not yours." Jane snarled, taking a menacing step towards him, her fingers twitching in anticipation.

Carlisle's hands shot out before he took a step back, "I'm only suggesting that more help wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. It's obvious that the more help against this threat, the better it will be for everyone."

Jane and I exchanged a look, neither of us enjoying the idea of getting help from the shape shifters. The only good thing about this was that it might cut down on our time here.

My shoulders shrugged and Jane sighed deeply, her eyes glaring not only at Carlisle but Sam as well. "If you want to volunteer to get yourselves killed, then so be it. But we won't be stepping in to save you since you seem to think you're _so_ well equipped to handle these newborns."

Sam cocked an eyebrow, a smug smile on his lips as he stared back at Jane. "We'll handle ourselves just fine. The sooner this is over with, the sooner I want you gone."

"Keep it up mutt and we might just go on a killing spree before we leave this town. The Cullens are the ones who have sworn not to feed on humans; we've made no such promises." Jane said snarkily, her malicious grin making another appearance.

Sam's smile dropped as his eyes narrowed but he didn't say anything else. He turned around and stomped back towards the woods, "C'mon," he growled to the rest of the pack as he jumped into the air and shifted into his wolf. The rest of the wolves followed him before two of the smaller wolves reemerged through the tree line and headed towards us.

Before any questions could be asked, Edward spoke up. "Sam's ordered them to patrol the area in case any other vampires show up."

"We don't need any mutts to protect us," Rosalie growled, glaring at the two wolves so heatedly that I thought for just the briefest of moments they might combust.

Edward shrugged, "Sam ordered them to stay here, even if we wanted them gone, they wouldn't leave unless he ordered them to."

Emmett stepped forward, his ever present grin in place, "I like the sound of that challenge." His eyes shone with glee at the prospect of a fight but Esme's hand on his arm stopped him from approaching the wolves.

"Emmett, we will _not_ hurt the wolves. If they want to offer help, then we aren't going to turn them away; especially since they basically have no say in the matter." Her head shook in mild disappointment before she walked to the door and opened it.

Carlisle stepped up beside his wife, his hand wrapped around her waist, "Perhaps we should go inside and discuss how we're going to handle Laurent and his impending attack. We've been too busy resolving other issues," he paused, his eyes darting towards me as if I somehow purposefully forced these 'issues' to be discussed. I scoffed in disgust at the finger pointing but said nothing. "And have failed to really address the real reason for Jane and Bella being here. Now would be the best time to figure things out."

With the wolves suddenly forcing their way into this situation, puffing their chests out and acting like they had some sort of undue entitlement, despite have little to no knowledge on newborns or handling and attack of these proportions, I didn't see this strategizing session going too well.

My shoulders slumped as I watched everyone file inside, Jane and I being the last ones to walk inside.

As we stepped through the doorway, Jane started to hum the funeral march quietly. The song, while somewhat foreboding and extremely entertaining, seemed oddly fitting.

* * *

**A/N: Hoping to have another chapter out by tonight, tomorrow at the latest.  
I apologize for the long wait but I am bound and determined to finish this story.  
So again, thanks for hanging in there and following along and reviewing. **


	16. The Moment Before Battle

Everyone took their seats and looked around the room, no one wanting to be the first to speak up. I certainly wasn't going to start things off and if the angry look on Jane's face was any indicator, she wasn't going to start either.

Carlisle cleared his throat, "Maybe you should start, Jasper. You have the most experience with newborns, correct?"

Jasper shifted in his seat uncomfortably, probably not liking the attention being drawn to his scars or the spotlight being put onto his past. "Yes, that's correct." He responded a bit stiffly.

Alice reached out and stroked his hand comfortingly. Jasper's posture relaxed slightly but he still sat somewhat rigidly in his seat, either from the unpleasant turn in conversation or the still present mixed emotions on the confrontation with the wolves.

Though for the first time since I got here I did notice that he didn't have that ever present grimace. A large part of me was glad for that, I couldn't imagine feeling the weight of others emotions _and_ still fighting to control my blood thirst. At least with me being a vampire I could offer him some sort peace of mind since my blood didn't appeal to him anymore and with my shield he had one less emotional person to deal with.

"Vampires are at their peak of performance during their newborn phase." He started, speaking slowly as though he were trying to organize his thoughts. "They are stronger, faster, hungrier and are more impulsive. They tend to act first and think later."

"So what's the big deal? We've got years of experience on them." Emmett boomed, not quite understanding how formidable newborns could be. I didn't think any of them other than Jasper really had any firsthand knowledge of how lethal newborns could really be.

Jasper shook his head, a small smile on his lips. "Em, you might be strong but I can guarantee that they're stronger."

Emmett rolled his eyes and huffed loudly, "So how are we supposed to beat them?"

Jasper went silent and rubbed at his chin thoughtfully, "Well, it's not impossible for us to take them out ourselves, but now that the wolves have decided to help, we can use that to our advantage."

Carlisle looked at Jasper, his interest in this strategy showing in his eyes. "How so?" He asked excitedly.

"Well," Jasper drawled, "we could draw them out somewhere open. It keeps them away from the population and makes it easier to cover up the damage from the attack. Plus, if we can find a place we can use the element of surprise to wipe out at least half of their numbers by using the wolves."

Rosalie's face twisted in disgust but she didn't say anything.

Esme looked confused for a moment, her forehead scrunching as she processed the information. "Wouldn't they be able to smell the wolves? I mean, their scent is pretty potent."

Jasper smiled broadly at that, "That's another perk to picking the battlefield. If we position the wolves downwind there's no way the newborns will even know they're there until it's too late." Jasper glanced around the room, the wheels turning in his head so quickly you could almost hear them. "Plus, I doubt that any of them would recognize the scent even if they caught wind of it."

"So, what, we wait for the wolves to attack and then we charge in?" Emmett asked after a beat of silence.

"Essentially, yes. With the surprise of the wolves we should be able to take out quite a few without much effort." Jasper shrugged, "Newborns have high temperaments and short attention spans. They'll be so focused on that element of attack they'll momentarily forget about us being a threat."

As far as plans went, it was pretty solid. The only flaw was that we didn't know just how many newborns Laurent had made. At a certain point using the wolves as a distraction becomes moot, especially the larger the army gets.

It's doubtful that if there are a hundred or more newborns that they'll _all_ be distracted by the fifteen or so wolves on the field. At that point the wolves just become easy targets and as a result, so do we.

The only real way to wipe out the threat was to disable them as quickly as possible. If their limbs were torn apart then their threat level dropped significantly.

"Alice, have you seen anything?" Carlisle asked.

"With the wolves thrown into the mix it's all pretty much a blank. I can't see the outcome." Her head hung as she spoke.

"What about Laurent? Have you seen any of the decisions he's made?" I asked, curious as to whether that would result in a blank as well.

Her eyes glazed over, staring blankly at nothing in particular. Her mouth opened slightly as her body went rigid.

Three minutes of silence later and her eyes blinked furiously, an tempered smile showing. "He's planning to gather the newborns tonight but I can't see anything besides that. He either hasn't made up his mind or he's deliberately avoiding making a decision."

Everyone nodded thoughtfully at that but my interest was still piqued. "Did you get a read on how many vampires he's assembled?"

Alice shook her head in the negative.

I sighed and leaned back in my seat, not at all pleased with the lack of information we possessed. Plans only worked when you had enough knowledge and insight to go on and at this point we were basically grasping at straws and hoping the shape shifters would be enough.

"Is this our best plan of attack?" I asked Jasper since he seemed to be the next most knowledgeable person on newborns.

His face took on another thoughtful expression before he nodded slowly, "It's the best we can do until we have more information."

Something about this felt wrong; I couldn't put my figure on it but my stomach was churning and a cold chill tore through my spine. It was a feeling I had learned not to ignore but I had no idea why I was feeling it.

"Someone should tell the wolves while the rest of us go over the best way to attack newborns." I suggested, hoping to stay as far from the Quileute's as possible.

No one volunteered; everyone glanced around the room trying to look for a viable messenger.

Esme sighed quietly as she rose from her seat, "You should all be ashamed of your behavior towards the wolves. They didn't ask to be here and probably don't want to be here anymore than we want them here." Her head shook in disappointment before she walked towards the door, "I'll tell them about the plan."

We sat around the room, waiting for Esme to come back, none of us saying anything. My mind was too focused on the battle ahead of us and what I would do when I got my hands on Laurent.

Just as Esme walked back through the door, Alice's body locked up in the telltale sign of a vision.

The room was eerily silent as we all locked eyes on Alice, her golden eyes transfixed on something only she could see. The all too familiar feeling of dread settled in the pit of my stomach and I knew that whatever Alice was seeing, it wasn't going to be anything good.

Everyone in the room was as still as a statue, no fake breathing movements, no fidgeting, just stillness. All of our bodies taking on that strange stillness of a marble statue as we waited minute after minute for Alice to reveal the scenes she had watched unravel before her very eyes.

My hand automatically moved to Jane's, gently intertwining our fingers as we continued to stare at the pixie vampire.

After what seemed like hours, Alice's golden eyes blinked once, then twice, as she focused back in on the things around her. I watched as her eyes swept around the room, her mouth hanging slightly open. "He's made a decision." Her high and musical voice said quietly, her brow furrowed as though she were trying to piece together what she had just seen in her vision.

That look alone had my stomach twisting in knots again; it was a look that only promised bad things.

"What did you see, Alice?" Esme asked gently, her soft eyes offering comfort that only a mother's look could and Alice relaxed almost immediately once their eyes met.

"I saw Laurent surrounded by newborns, maybe fifty or so. They were in some sort of open area with a cabin in the background." Her voice wavered a bit, "He's planning on leaving tonight. I don't know where they are but they'll be here by tomorrow morning."

"Did you see anything else?" Carlisle prodded gently.

Alice's eyes glazed over again, a strained expression taking over her face as she did so. After another beat of silence, her hands clenched and her expression turned somewhat angry. "After that, I can't _see_ anything! It's like it's all a blank." Her voice was beyond frustrated as she threw her hands angrily in the air.

Jasper ran his hand up and down her arms comfortingly but it was doing little to lessen her tense posture.

Carlisle's brow furrowed in confusion while Edward stared thoughtfully at nothing in particular, probably having seen exactly what Alice had; neither saying much as they mulled things over.

"Okay, well, at least that's better than nothing," I offered, knowing that at least having a time frame was better than waiting around and twiddling our thumbs. The element of surprise was basically taken away from their attack so while we may not have had every detail at least we had something to go on.

Alice's attention snapped towards me, her face still twisted into one of pure frustration. I shrugged helplessly, idly wondering why I was offering comfort when it should have been someone in the Cullen family doing it.

"What?" I asked after a moment of just her staring at me, getting annoyed myself that her unwavering stare was unnerving me.

Her face relaxed slightly, the corner of her lip pulling upward just a fraction, "Nothing." Her head shook slightly, sending her spiky hair flying as she did so.

My eyes narrowed suspiciously, not understanding the look she was giving me. It was very reminiscent of how things used to be, back when I was human and practically living with the Cullens.

Alice would always give me that look, where her lips were upturned just a bit, only hinting at the mischief that was lurking beneath the surface. It was as annoying as it was entertaining and back then I treasured it; even if it did mean getting a makeover for the fifth time that week or getting tricked into going shopping.

But now, seeing that look, I wasn't feeling as comforted or entertained. No, this look put me on edge and I couldn't exactly pinpoint why. I had seen it enough times, I had experienced it just as many times but now, it didn't have the same effect. Maybe it was because back then we were closer, almost like sisters, but now there was fracture in our relationship and no matter how much we pretended to be civil, it didn't matter. When all the pretenses were wiped away and everything lay bare, it was clear that this was all pleasantries and once things here were taken care of, we would all go our separate ways.

"Okay," I said slowly, feeling as though I was missing something vital.

I turned my attention towards Jane, noticing the way her body went tense and the glare she was throwing Alice's way. If it was a jealousy thing, she absolutely had nothing to worry about. If it was a trust thing, well, she and I were on the same page.

My spidey senses were tingling and even though I had no real reason to feel it, things just felt…off.

It wasn't something I could really explain but it wasn't just the weird feeling in my gut. No, it was like the calm before the storm. That moment where you know things are going too well, where everything seems to be clicking just a little too well and in the back of your mind you just know things are going to blow up in your face.

If this were a movie, I'm sure everyone would be screaming, '_Look out! It's a trap!_' where the viewer is stating the complete obvious because they know something bad is coming. I could almost hear the eerie and ominous music playing in the background, cueing everyone in to the trouble that was about to come.

I _hated_ this feeling because as much as I wanted to believe it was wrong, as vehemently as I wanted to deny it, I knew it was pointless. I had this same feeling when Edward left me and that same claw of paranoia sunk itself into me right before Victoria attacked me.

I just hoped that things, for once, wouldn't turn out like I thought they would.

* * *

After we had wrapped up our rehashing of the battle plan we all went our separate ways, most likely to spend what little time we could with our significant others before the fight.

The room had cleared out, Jane and I slinking up the stairs and towards our room.

Just as I stepped foot into the room, a hand grabbed my upper arm and halted my movement. I whirled around, prepared to chew the person out when their hand immediately dropped and swung loosely by their side.

I narrowed my eyes, a scowl automatically sliding into place as I stared at Edward, who for the first time since he got here, looked sheepish. My shields, both the physical one and my emotional one went up. It might have been the strange feeling that had been coiled in my stomach or the look that Edward was sporting right now, but my guard was up and I wasn't about to let this impending fight make me vulnerable.

"What do you want?" I hissed, not really in the mood to have him pawing at me or declaring his undying love.

His hands shot out, palms out, as he smiled crookedly. "I just wanted to talk and clear the air before things get too chaotic."

My brow rose challengingly, not in the least bit convinced, as my foot tapped impatiently on the floor.

He sighed heavily, his hands digging forcefully into his pockets, "Look, I know I've been a complete ass since you showed up but can you really blame me? I thought we were going to spend the rest of our lives together and then you show up and with _her, no less_." His gold eyes stared at something behind me and I didn't have to look to know it was Jane.

I laughed humorlessly, "_This_ is how you apologize? By insulting my _mate_? If this is some new tactic you're trying, it's failing…horribly."

Edward growled before his head dipped and his features schooled, "I'm sorry. I'm not going about this the right way." A quiet huff escaped his lips before he stepped out of the doorway, his hand motioning towards the stairs, "Can we _please_ just talk for a moment."

I don't know why I continued to subject myself to his speeches. Maybe, some dark part of me wanted to keep hearing his arrogant proclamations so I could hold on to the anger I had or perhaps it was just that I wanted to see if he was capable of moving on like I had. If he was able to swallow his pride and accept that I was no longer on the market; that I had been swept off my feet for all of eternity by Jane.

Deep down, I knew this was a bad idea, but I went along with it and followed him out of the room. Behind me, I could hear Jane's low and possessive growl, and just before Edward followed me down the stairs, I saw from my peripheral vision his body stiffening.

I had an inkling that Jane's thoughts weren't at all pleasant and I found myself wishing I had the ability to read her mind because I was very curious to hear what thoughts she had sent Edward's way.

We walked together down the stairs and out the front door. I lowered myself onto the first step of the stairs, not wanting nor trusting him enough to be alone with him anywhere other than within Jane's hearing range. After all, privacy didn't really exist in a house full of vampires, and for the first time, I was somewhat relieved by that fact.

Lately, Edward had been giving off that _Misery_ vibe, like if he could he would kidnap me, break my legs and force me to stay with him. Looking back on it now, his behavior hadn't changed much, he was still creepy as hell but at least now I could see it for what it was.

Edward didn't sit down; instead he stood a few feet before me, his hand running through his wild and untamable hair. He took a few deep breaths, "Can you take down your shield?" He asked after a moment.

I couldn't believe he was really asking me that. Did I have 'sucker' written on my forehead or something? Because it would be a cold day in hell when I dropped my defenses around him. "No." I said curtly, letting my distaste show.

"Fine," he muttered contritely. "I wanted to start by apologizing for how I've been going about things. I know you can't control who you're mated to but that doesn't mean that I can just turn off how I feel."

It might have been the _Misery_ vibe or the crazy eyes he was sporting, but his words did little to comfort me. "I get that you still have feelings for me, Edward, trust me, I get it." His eyes lit up and I hastily added, "But I moved on and I'm sure in time, so will you."

His golden eyes darkened, no longer light butterscotch as the color faded to black. "If _she_ weren't here, we would be together." His voice held only malice and an utterly delusional amount of conviction.

"_You _left _me_, Edward. I didn't cheat on you, I didn't date her behind your back; there was no torrid love affair. You dumped me, made sure I was as broken as I could be and then you just up and left. And if that wasn't bad enough, you forced your entire family to follow along. Do you honestly not see anything wrong with that? How could any sane person forgive someone for that, let alone love them again?"

Edward's lips pressed into a tight line, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose like he was frustrated with my resistance.

"Do you think I _wanted_ to leave you? Do you think I wanted to give up the love of my life like that? To wipe my existence from your life, lie to your face and pretend like I never loved you at all? I did it because I wanted you to have a chance at living a normal life. I knew if my family and I stuck around that you would never truly move on."

I was so tired of hearing the same explanation over and over again. It made me want to slam my head into a hard wall a few times and then maybe slam his head into the same wall. "I'm not arguing your asinine motives, Edward. In your own dramatic and twisted way, I believe that you thought you were doing the right thing. You weren't, but I know in your head, you thought you were." He looked torn between smiling victoriously or frowning from the not-so-hidden insult.

"You wanted me to move on and I did. Why can't you just accept that and move on?"

His hands flew into the air dramatically, and for a split second I expected him to stomp his foot on the ground and throw a temper tantrum. "I wanted you to have a normal _human_ life. Get married to a _human_ male, and have _human_ children! Not," his hand waffled in the air, the words seemingly caught in his throat, "end up with _Jane_! Not become a _vampire_! You became the one thing I didn't want you to become, which means all of this heartache was for nothing!"

His bottom lip jutted out, his eyes blazing as he sulked angrily.

I knew my face betrayed just how unimpressed I was with his little hissy fit and I wasn't in much of a mood to hide it. "Does it even matter that I didn't want any of those things? Does it matter to you that I never _wanted_ to get married, I never _wanted_ to have kids?" I sighed and pushed my hair out of my face, "You keep trying to force me into this box that I just don't fit in. You want me to be some traditional housewife who pops out kids and stays home and cooks and cleans. I'm not that woman. I don't want to be bossed around and have my decisions made for me."

I could tell my words weren't sinking into his brain; it's like he couldn't comprehend being with someone who didn't want her partner controlling every aspect of her life.

His face scrunched up, confusion etched into his every feature, "I did that to protect you. To keep you safe."

Broken record much?

"You don't keep a person safe by dictating their every action, thought or feeling. You were controlling and overbearing and somehow, I don't see that changing now, despite the fact we're on an even playing field now."

"I can still protect you; I can offer you more than Jane can. If you were with me, you would have a family and a place where you could be yourself." He took a step forward, lowering himself onto the step and sitting next to me.

I laughed lightly because if I didn't laugh I didn't know what I would do. "I don't think you know who I am, Edward."

His face broke out into a smile, his eyes lighting up as though he finally had the answer to a question and was excited to share. "I know who you are Bella. You're quiet and reserved; you love with all your heart and are willing to protect those you love even if it means sacrificing yourself. You're selfless in your actions, almost to a fault," Edward continued to list things but I was already zoning out.

With shortening patience, I held up a finger, "You can't possibly know who I am when I'm barely figuring it out myself." Which, was unfortunately, a sad truth. Every day it was like I was learning something new about myself, something I wanted to be or how I wanted to act. I was rediscovering myself and along the way I stopped being the human Bella Edward knew and morphed into the vampire Bella I was now.

"Haven't you noticed that? I'm not quiet anymore, I don't let other people step all over me and I don't take orders from anyone except Aro, Marcus and Caius. I'm not the same person you fell in love with, why can't you just let this go? Why do you feel the need to keep pushing for something that's never going to happen?" I could understand being stubborn at first but hadn't I shown him enough to prove that things between us were over?

"I can learn to love the person you've become because that's what you do when you love someone as unconditionally as I love you." He said it with such pride that I wanted to gag. Did he realize how corny and ridiculous his proclamations sounded?

"You would _try_ and love the person I've become, the operative word being try. As much as you would like to accept who I am, you couldn't handle it. I drink from humans, could you honestly tell me you could live with that and not try to change my diet? I love working for the Volturi, would you abandon your family to come there with me? Would you help me carry out their missions, regardless of how ruthless they required you to be? Would you share the same enthusiasm I did when I killed other vampires?" My eyebrow arched in defiance as I considered the other questions that floated around in my head.

Slowly, his head shook as he tried to hide the disgust that surfaced. "No," he said resolutely. "Part of loving someone is recognizing when they're doing something that isn't good for them. I could help you remember who you were before all of _this_. You could be the same caring, clumsy and shy Bella that I fell in love with."

I scoffed, finding it hard to hide my own disgust with his need to cling to the person I was. "And that's the problem! I don't _want_ to be that person anymore. I'm not clumsy. I'm not shy. And I don't want to feel like I have to care for everyone all the time! Why can't you understand that? Why can't you just let me go?" I was bristling and annoyed beyond belief. Was there ever going to be something that would make him see how little I cared for him? How unlikely a future for us was?

"I can't let you go because I know we're meant to be together." He said weakly and for the briefest of moments I thought I might be getting through to him.

"You know we aren't. If we were then I wouldn't be with Jane. Mates find their way to another; fate pretty much guarantees that. And I know you're desperate to find someone you belong with, your mate, but I'm not it. I don't want you. I don't need you." I sighed, my hand rubbing tiredly at my face.

"But _we_ found each other. Fate brought _us_ together. That's why you and I are sitting here right now." He sounded so desperate and needy that any semblance of sympathy I felt was immediately gone. And it was clear that no matter what I said or how I said it, he would continue to hold onto the hope that we would end up together. The best I could hope for was that he would find his mate and soon.

"I can't keep doing this, Edward. I can't keep listening to this delusion you've got. So after I get up and walk inside, we aren't going to talk about this again. What we had is over. I know, some part of you recognizes that, but maybe you're too stubborn to accept it or maybe you're just too afraid of being alone. I honestly don't know, but what I do know is that nothing will ever happen between us. I can say that with complete and utter certainty because when I look at you, I don't feel a thing. When I look at Jane, it's like I can feel my heart fluttering, even though I know it's not beating anymore." I could just imagine the stupid smile that was on my face as I said that, but in my defense, I figured I was allowed to be the sappy one in the relationship seeing as how Jane was the 'tough as nails' one.

Edward closed his eyes and took a deep breath before his eyes fluttered open and a grimace took over his face. "When you look at me, you don't feel anything?"

It took quite a bit of strength but I resisted the urge to retort sarcastically 'No. Did you think you were Casanova and no female was immune to your charms?' but that felt a little too catty for my taste. "Nope," I responded, popping the 'p' as I stared directly into his eyes.

His mouth dropped open in shock and if I hadn't known any better, I'd have guessed someone just slapped him across the face.

Huh.

His stony silence was enough of an indicator that it was time to take my leave. "I'm sure you'll find someone, Edward. The more time you spend pining for me, the more time you're wasting finding your mate." My hand awkwardly patted his shoulder before I stood and walked into the house, struggling not to break out into a sprint lest he decide he wanted to talk some more.

I made a mad dash up the stairs and into my room, pressing my back to the door once it was closed and breathing a sigh of relief.

"Don't say anything," I muttered somewhat darkly as I plopped onto the bed, graciously ignoring the smirk Jane was sporting.

"I wasn't going to," she responded smarmily.

"You and I both know that's a lie," I retorted, staring blankly at the ceiling. The gentle shaking of the bed from Jane's laughter was all the confirmation I needed.

A beat of silence passed, before the question that had been nagging me finally burst through the box I had tucked it into. "Do you think everything will work out?"

The strange feeling had still been plaguing me, making me feel as though someone were watching me. It made my skin crawl and tightened the ball of nerves that had taken up residence in my stomach.

Resisting the urge to fidget, I waited for a reply from Jane.

"Yes," she finally said after what seemed like eons, "we've handled worse and with the mongrels, I don't think Laurent or his newborns stand a chance."

She sounded so confident and sure that it made me feel bad that a small part of me doubted what she was saying. I just had to hold on to the hope that my gut was wrong and that Jane was right. We had enough manpower to handle this so I shouldn't have had anything to fear.

* * *

In the morning we filed downstairs and marched out to the field we had picked the previous day.

The wolves took their sweet time getting there, which I assumed was some sort of stupid power play. If that was what they were actually doing, they were even fuller of themselves than I had originally thought.

I rolled my eyes and resumed my position on the far side of the field. The waiting game was the worst part of all this.

* * *

I'm not sure how long we stood there, waiting for the army to arrive but it felt like hours.

And just when I had all but given up hope that this battle would happen, there was a rustling of the trees and the sound of twigs cracking under heavy footsteps.

The newborns poured out of the woods like a swarm of cockroaches.

All of them were young, from their early to late teens. Their clothes were tattered from repeated wearing and their faces were either twisted into angry scowls or sadistic smiles. I had no doubt that Laurent had told them some ridiculous lie to make them hate us so much; to make them seem so rabid.

We stood on the other side of the clearing, none of us moving an inch as the newborns continued to slink out from between the trees.

My eyes darted from vampire to vampire, trying to locate my main target. I scanned the woods and looked intently at each newborn but Laurent was nowhere to be seen. While this put somewhat of a kink in things it wasn't too surprising.

We braced ourselves and after a slow exhale, the newborns all let out a collective snarl before darting across the field. The newborns ran towards us from the North end of the clearing, but before they could get halfway across, the wolves were lunging towards them.

Each wolf had a newborn clamped in its jaws and the sound of agonizing screams soon filled the clearing.

From that point, any semblance of a plan was thrown out the window. The army was swarming the field, attacking everything and everyone in sight.

Pieces of torn vampires lay scattered and strewn on the ground. While the wolves continued to battle ram through the masses.

Jane and I stood with the rest of the Cullens, waiting until the vampires got closer before we attacked.

They drew in closer and closer, and when they were within jumping distance we surged forward.

Three newborns stood before me, their hands swiping at me as they tried to grab a hold. I managed to dodge their grabby hands and before one pair could make contact I was grabbing hold and yanking with as much strength as I could muster. Their arms gave way and separated from their sockets with a loud crack.

The teenage newborn howled before lunging forward, the other two joining him.

Off to my left I could hear the telltale screams of Jane's power at work but quickly forced my mind to focus on the task at hand.

Ducking underneath the outstretched hands I slipped behind the newborns, my hands automatically moving to rip whatever I could grab apart. One head tore off easily enough then the next which left me only with the armless newborn. My knee slammed into his gut and as he hunched over, my hands wrapped around his neck and squeezed until his head popped off and rolled away.

As I straightened, I saw the destruction that lay around me. A few of the wolves were on the ground, not dead but certainly worse for the wear. Pieces of the newborns were scattered all over the clearing.

Everyone was still fighting but what had I anticipated to be a tough battle was turning out to be an exceptionally easy one.

Around Jane, several vampires were curled on the ground, their agonized and pain-filled screams sounding through the onslaught of battle-cries.

Her hands tore at every vampire, a cruel smile on her lips as they crumbled beneath her fingers.

Carlisle and Esme worked together, taking out as many as they could.

Alice and Rosalie were each fighting a newborn, though they looked more like they were dancing rather than fighting. Each woman moved with a grace I didn't know a fighter could possess. Their bodies contorted as they deftly avoided blows, their legs and arms outstretching to land hit after hit.

Before I could really take notice of anyone else I saw a blur off the right and immediately whirled around to get a better look. My eyes narrowed as I took in the light brown duster and faded blue jeans. His dark skin was a stark contrast to the pale white of the vampires around him.

He offered a sick smile as his pearly white teeth shone. A feral growl escaped my lips before I took off after him, my body knocking any and all vampires out of the way as I gave chase to my true target.

The sounds of the battle faded behind me as we ran further and further into the woods. The sunlight that had been shining brightly just a moment before had completely disappeared; blocked by the tall and full trees.

Laurent's laughter echoed through the woods and my feet dug into the dirt as I stopped dead in my tracks.

From between the trees in front of me, he stepped forward. "You've made things so easy, Isabella." His voice taunted.

The familiar feeling of dread slithered down my body and just as I heard the crunching of leaves behind me, everything started to blur.

A painful burst of electricity exploded in my brain, the feeling akin to my brain overheating and short circuiting. My legs gave out and I crashed into the ground.

My head slammed into the ground with a sickening thud as my body started to shut down. The pain coursing through my body was unbearable and only seconds later, my eyes started to slide shut.

The last thing I saw before succumbing to the darkness was Laurent's face smiling at me.


	17. I Am Jane Hear Me Roar

**Mild warning, Jane chapters are probably going to be more curse word heavy than any of the previous chapters or POV's.  
Ya know, 'cause she's such a badass.**

* * *

**Jane POV**

Fighting has always been a part of my vampire life. It's one of the few constants in an ever-changing world.

Though, is it fair to call it fighting when there's a 99.99% guarantee of victory?

Regardless of the odds, it's primal at its best and savage at its worst, that's what makes it so appealing. Not the outcome but the raw and ruthless nature of it all.

So many aspects of it are tantalizing; the strange and addictive adrenaline rush from dodging an attack, the thunderous crack of marble flesh painfully colliding with another's, the gratifying cracks and chips that spread like a disease over their battered flesh. That's not even taking into account the sounds that each fighter makes when they finally succumb to the realization that they will not be walking away. The agonized scream that was once a fury filled battle cry tumbling from their lips as their body is ripped apart by the victor.

The thrill of this fight was no different, for the duration of the battle my mind was focused solely on the threat at hand. My mind stopped them dead in their tracks as my hands cut them down to mere chunks, my fiendish smile firmly in place as the waves of newborns were wiped out one after another.

When the last one fell to the ground I stood there, my eyes raking over the devastatingly perfect destruction.

The rippling waves of joy and pride from the battle quickly evaporated into the air like steam. I didn't realize why at first, and a part of me can't help but feel slightly ashamed by that, but then I noticed the absence; the gaping hole somewhere inside of me.

I had spent so long on my own with only my brother to keep me company that the idea of being tethered to someone else was unfathomable. All the time I had spent with Bella, the time we spent on missions or just in close proximity, I hadn't entirely noticed the pull or the awareness. It wasn't until everything clicked into place and my fears were confirmed that I started to take notice of the minute and world shifting changes that were going on between us.

I don't think Bella really noticed, I mean, how could she? I was only aware of them because I had been around long enough to see it happen to other vampires, and when the bond was confirmed it was like my brain couldn't help but notice the subtle shifts between us. I noticed how my fingers twitched and longed to make some sort of contact with her flesh, how I could always smell her, as though her scent would float through the massive castle and wrap itself around me, I craved to hear her voice and though I was far from the conversational type I strived to make an effort. Of course, I was reluctant to admit what was happening.

In fact, it would be an understatement to say that I hated her for making me a slave to my emotions. I had flipped that switch so long ago that for a moment, the foreign infatuation I had with her seemed alien. My emotional spectrum ranged from deliberate indifference to gleeful spite. There was no instance of pure joy, no moment of pure bliss. The only smile to adorn my face was one of malice or to taunt. Laughter wasn't because of joy, no, it was because I was showing just how deep my sadistic steak ran.

And then Bella waltzed in like the oblivious newborn she was and turned my world upside down. It wasn't fast, no; it was a slow and arduous process on her part. By the time I realized how screwed I truly was, it was already too late. And the best part was that she didn't even know she was doing it! My Bella was so focused on embracing what she was that she failed to see how much chaos she was creating in my perfectly controlled world.

There are moments, fractions of a second really, where I wonder if being mated is all it's cracked up to be. And then she'll look at me, I'll hear her voice, catch a whiff of her intoxicating scent, or just _feel_ her and the millisecond of doubt is squashed into nothingness.

It's in those moments that I realize how ridiculously sappy she's made me, and at the same time, she's made me just as strong and determined.

Because when I don't feel her around me, when I can't _feel _her, the strength and fury that used to bubble beneath the surface grows exponentially.

And it's only happened a few times but I can feel it now. And looking around this field, I can feel the molten lava rushing through my bloodless veins. I can feel it boiling and bubbling beneath the surface and that's how I _know_ she isn't here.

I can tell my eyes have gone black and I know there's a frantic and angry look on my face but my mind is going in a million different directions and the venom coursing through my body is setting my cold flesh on fire and I can't _see _her. And if I can't _see_ her then I should at least be able to _feel _her, but I can't. And the moment that registers, my stomach feels like it's dropped.

I can't stop scanning the field because some part of my mind thinks, truly believes, that if I keep looking then there's a chance she'll pop up. But that's the lovesick part of me and it's killing me that I can't _see_ her and I can't _feel_ her and I don't know what that means but I know it's nothing good.

The frantic nerves are shooting through my body and it's so damn foreign and repulsive that it just sends my fury to a completely new level. And the anger that's quickly sweeping through me, that's overtaking every molecule of my being, is a welcome change. I can't handle anxiety; I don't know how to process the gaping hole in my chest that's slowly making its presence known, but I can handle fury.

And right now, I've got a whole lot of it.

And anyone and everyone involved with the abduction of my Bella will wish they had never existed once I'm done with them. The Volturi themselves won't be able to stop me from exacting my revenge.

I can feel the coldness making its way through me, I can feel everything but the anger in me shutting down and it's a welcomed change. I'm reverting back to who I was before Bella came and I don't care because I don't want to be whatever she's made me into anymore if she's not around.

My eyes are hardening and my expression is wiped and my famous malicious smirk is tugging at my lips. And this change has probably only taken a second to happen but it feels like someone has slowly started to flip switches and pull levers; each movement resulting in some change in me.

And I'm no longer the Jane who somehow fell in love with one Isabella Marie Swan. I'm the Jane who is going to tear this world apart and won't stop until her mate is rightfully returned.

And I know who I'm going to grab first.

_Edward Cullen. _


	18. Hell Hath No Fury

**Jane POV**

Hatred.

It was pure and red hot and running rampant through my body.

I wanted to do so many things that I was having a hard time really focusing on just one thing. It's a strange thing to be hyper aware of everything, and that's something, especially when it's coming from a vampire who has been around for as long as I have.

A large part of me (the unfortunately lovesick part that I had yet to completely adapt to) wanted to tear through the woods, to knock down and destroy anything and everything that dared to cross my path, until I found Bella. And another part of me (ideally the logical side that was ruled by anger and years of unrestrained malice) wanted to torture and wound every single vampire and shifter around me until I found out who had let this happen.

I had no illusions as to a traitor amongst this despicable group of supernatural creatures. More so, the Cullens. They were weak, pathetic and hopelessly clinging to the disgusting hope that they could be _human_. I repeat: Pathetic.

I glared at each and every one of them, wondering how fucking oblivious they could be. Had they not noticed her absence? How self-absorbed could they really be?

I didn't care. I needed answers and I was going to get them.

Without a second thought, my body was across the field and standing in front of Edward.

God, I hated him. Actually, I don't even think hate is a strong enough word to describe how I feel about him.

He was a weak excuse for a vampire. He was a walking set of contradictions and so irritatingly blind to his so very many flaws. To him, he could do no wrong. Every action, despite how fucking stupid and terrible it was, always had some superior and morally acceptable justification.

I'll never understand how someone who had walked the Earth for over 100 years could be so stuck in the past. I had been around so much longer than him, had spent _far_ less time wandering the world alone and even I was more evolved than he was. Considering I was nothing more than a ruthless killer whose only ambition was to please Aro; that was saying something.

I didn't hesitate to wrap my hand around his neck, enjoying the spider web cracks that fanned out from where my fingers dug mercilessly into his marble flesh.

For just a moment, I looked into his topaz eyes and let my mind tell him just how worthless I really thought he was.

I wanted him to see how cowardly he was, to show him that he had lost the girl and I had snatched her up.

Bella had been keeping me in check, had silently supported me and reinforced how little time this worm deserved. But she wasn't here and I just knew, I fucking _knew_ that this wimp was the reason why. He may not have handed her over but I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had at least known this might happen.

"Where is she?" I growled, my teeth bared just inches from his ugly mug, ready to chomp, chew and spit the bastard out if he didn't yield the answers I so desperately needed.

His eyes narrowed, as if he were offended that I could even think he had something to do with her absence. "I don't know." It was a weak reply and the utter lack of emotion in his voice made me _really_ reconsider my idea not to just rip him apart and save the world the trouble.

'_I could do it_,' I thought to myself, knowing he would be listening in. '_I would be doing the world a favor if I just grabbed your disastrous hair and yanked. If I ever had a reason and time where it was justified, now would probably be it._' I smirked as I watched his eyes widen ever so slightly before returning to the constipated, squinty eyed look again.

"Like Aro would let you." he snarled and I could only let out a dry bark of laughter in response.

Behind me, I could hear the other Cullens converging and whispering. Apparently they had finally caught on to what was happening and the distinct absence of one Isabella Swan.

'_You've got a rare talent, I'll give you that._' I thought, letting it show just how unimpressed I was with that particular ability. '_But do you honestly think you're the only one out there? It's rare but not unique. I could always scour the Earth until I found a vampire with your ability; it's not an impossible task._'

I ignored the sound of a phone dialing, already aware that it was probably Aro who was being called. I had no doubt that it was Carlisle calling him up.

After all, I was apparently the rabid dog who was on the loose and who better to call than my owner? But if I was going to be forced to leave Bella behind, to leave her in the clutches of some unnamed assailants, then the Volturi would have to track me down and tear me apart because there was no way in hell that I was leaving her behind.

I respected Aro, he had saved me from a life that was fruitless and a waste and I had vowed my allegiance to him the moment I woke from that venom induced coma. I would walk through fire if he asked me to but now that I had tasted the intoxicating essence that only a mate could offer, he wasn't the only one who held my loyalties now.

I was new to the whole 'mate' thing but I knew they were rare and when you found them, you were bound for the rest of your eternal life. I had finally gotten my hands on that and no matter what Aro ordered, no matter how badly it would hurt my brother, I wouldn't stop searching for her until I was either dead or found her.

This was nonnegotiable.

With a renewed vigor, I slackened my grip on Edward's neck and forced his face towards me, looking him dead in the eye again. I wanted him to see how little lied behind my eyes, how only hatred and fury swirled in my crimson eyes. Remorse held no place in me.

'_I will rip you apart in the most painful of ways. I will rip your flesh apart, piece by piece. My teeth will slice through you mercilessly, branding you for the ugly thing that you are. And just when you're on the brink of death, I'll let your body repair itself while I torture your mind and inflict as much pain as my ability will allow. Your final death will not be swift, it will not be painless. It will be a work of art and by the end, by the time I'm finally ready to end you completely, you will have already died on the inside. When you're nothing but a shell of yourself, only then will I finally end you._' I didn't blink, didn't breathe; I didn't do anything besides stare into his eyes and show him just how true those thoughts were. I could already hear his screams, could see his eyes begging for the pain to stop. I saw it all and I knew he saw it too.

I saw the fear that clouded his eyes as I imagined every second of my sadistic torture. It was like a symphony of the world's best music playing, like finally seeing the world after spending most of your life blind. It was oh so delicious to see the terror in his amber eyes but it was even better to smell the fear the poured out of his skin.

"Now, let's try this again Edward." I whispered into his ear, my fingers digging into his jaw and I tilted his head, "Where. Is. She?"

His silence and fear lasted only a moment before he was teeming with anger. "I. Don't. Know," he mimicked, his hatred for me even more apparent.

"Oh, Eddie boy" I whispered happily in his ear, enjoying the way his body tensed at the nickname, "you're going to wish you had just answered my question."

I didn't give him time to spit back a response before I was slamming my knee into his chest and exuding as much power as my ability would allow on him. As I watched his muscles tense and his limbs lock up, his back arching off the ground, his agonized screams echoing through the forest, I smiled ruthlessly.

My eyes examined my nails for a moment as I let the pain and invisible flames overload his body. "Ready to answer?"

"Stop it! He doesn't know who took Bella or why." The little one yelled, her hands reaching out for her fallen coven member.

I growled before pushing her violently away and turning on my heels. "But he still knows something, right? Maybe you both do," I thought aloud, still inflicting as much torment onto Edward as I could.

My feet were planted firmly on the ground in front of Edward but my body was twisting towards Alice, my mind wanting to break them both apart but unable to choose between one or the other.

Rooted to my spot, I was torn from my dilemma when Aro's voice filtered through the tense air.

"Carlisle! What a pleasant surprise." His voice sounded just as jubilant as it always had, as though very little could ever put a damper on his spirits; though if centuries with him had taught me anything, it was how to read the undertones to his whimsical voice.

Underneath the joy and unrealistic happiness was the annoyance and disbelief. Honestly, it didn't take my extensive knowledge of Aro to figure that out; it seemed pretty obvious that Carlisle wasn't calling because he was in the mood for idle chitchat. He was calling because he needed something.

Typical. All the Cullens ever seemed to do was take, take, take. Even Bella couldn't keep me from thinking they were selfish things; acting as though they were the superior form of vampires simply because they held themselves to a higher moral standard. I guess they failed to see that taking a moral stance on things like feeding habits and human interactions didn't exactly excuse ignorant and spoiled behavior.

Carlisle had his head so far up his own ass that he didn't even see a problem with his eldest 'son' stalking a human; breaking into her home and watching her sleep like the creepy voyeur he was; controlling her life and actions, whether it was because he actually thought it was doing her good or simply because he could is entirely debatable, though I'd lean towards the latter; bringing a human into the fold and telling her all about the existence of vampires only to uproot their lives and leave said human behind with no thought or care towards the consequences that would result.

Really, they were all pretty moronic.

What the hell did Bella see in these things? And I call them things because quite honestly, I don't think they deserve to even be called vampires.

They might not be in her bad graces but we didn't share the same viewpoint. She still saw them as she did when she was human; despite her pain, hurt, and anger at being abandoned by them, her perspective of them was still somewhat skewed. Sure, she was pissed but regardless of her desire to appear cold and detached, she was anything but. If she were, she wouldn't have forgiven Rosalie, wouldn't have stood by and actually _listened_ to what they had to say. She wouldn't have given Edward the time of day, or any of them for that matter.

But that was what made Bella, well, Bella. She was malleable like that. If it didn't make me queasy to admit the number of cheesy and ridiculously _sweet_ things I've grown to love about her, I would probably throw these observations right into the Cullens faces. If not to show how fantastic of a being Bella was then to at least rub their noses in the fact that they had lost (or more accurately thrown away) someone like her to _me_.

Actually, it might just be worth getting overly sentimental just to see their faces when they realize how much I know about her and how willingly she's embraced our bond.

'_Focus Jane_' I was getting off topic.

Forcing myself to tune back into the conversations going on around me, I pushed that particular version of revenge to the back of my mind. I'd be sure to follow through on it once I had Bella back.

"Well, you see Aro, we seem to have hit a bit of a snag." Carlisle muttered into the phone, his eyes locked onto me as though the words would somehow release Edward from my ability.

As if.

I wasn't going to cower just because he had called Aro. Very few could strike fear into me and I would be damned if Carlisle Cullen of all people believed he possessed that ability.

"Oh," Aro replied instantly, sounding disappointed at the nature of the call. "And here and I had thought you were calling for _social_ reasons," he said, emphasizing the nature of the call.

Carlisle's brow furrowed, his lips drooping in a frown as he tried to, foolishly, get Aro back on his side.

"I was intending for our next chat to be social," the doctor floundered, "once this threat had been taken care of but it seems that the situation is far from over."

My eyebrow quirked at that because really, just from the few sentences they had exchanged I knew there was no way that Aro was going to turn on me.

If it came down to Carlisle or me, I had no illusions as to who would be picked. My centuries of willing servitude to the Volturi versus Carlisle's few decades of reluctant servitude and blatant disgust with our lifestyle; it was pretty obvious who would win out.

"I see." Aro said shortly, his good spirits seeming to have evaporated. "And what is so urgent that you have sought out my assistance? Surely Jane and Bella are fully capable of handing a small army of disgruntled newborn vampires."

"The army has been taken care of." Carlisle said formally, his eyebrows drawn together as he warily glanced between me and Edward. "This problem has more to do with Jane."

"Oh?" The voice on the phone replied, sounding not at all surprised by this turn of events.

"Yes, it seems she believes that Edward is responsible for the disappearance of Bella and is…" he paused for a moment, probably trying to figure out the best wording. I preferred 'torture' but that didn't seem like stuffy Carlisle's choice of wording. "Well, she's attempting to garner information for him with the use of her ability and sheer physical strength." His lips pursed, probably not satisfied with his description.

I didn't really blame him. It didn't do my strength and powers any justice; torture was definitely the better word choice and it accomplished all of the things he had just said, but instead of seventeen words he only needed one.

"Isabella has disappeared?" Aro asked calmly. And that in and of itself should have tipped off Carlisle that he should be treading lightly.

No such luck, much to my utter glee.

"Yes, we've only just realized. With the chaos of the battle and the cleanup afterwards, we hadn't noticed she was gone."

The phone was dead silent for a second before muffled whispers floated through the speaker. The chatter on the other end kept up for a few more seconds before Aro's voice once again filtered through the area. "And Jane believes that Edward has some knowledge of Isabella's abduction?"

"Yes and has been using her ability to try and get him to reveal information he simply does not have. My son has played no part in this Aro."

I didn't believe that for one damn second and from the way Aro was speaking, I don't think he did either.

"Jane, no more." The second the words were spoken, Edward was released from the fiery torment I had been putting him through.

Edward slowly stood, with the help of Alice, and walked over towards the rest of the Cullens who were gathered around the phone. "I'm disappointed that I've gone above and beyond to ensure your coven's safety by dispatching two of my strongest guard members and in a show of gratitude you've not only allowed one of them to be abducted but have also allotted for those perpetrators to get a head start by failing to notify me the second this problem came to your attention." I rarely ever witnessed Aro angry but judging from his booming voice, he was downright furious. I didn't really blame him.

"We meant no disrespect Aro and are more than willing to offer our assistance in locating Bella." Carlisle responded, his calm tone of voice doing more damage than it was attempting to repair.

"While I appreciate your _offer_ to assist you have no choice in the matter," the elder vampire said harshly, spitting the word 'offer' as though it were the most disgusting thing to ever enter his mouth. "It is because of your recklessness that Isabella has been taken and her absence has gone unnoticed for so long. You have no choice in the matter and will be assisting Alec, Demetri and Felix once they arrive. You are to follow any and all orders Jane gives and when Isabella has been retrieved I expect all of you to return to Volterra with the culprits in hand. We will discern any and all involvement in this abduction and assign punishments accordingly." His voice was cold and harsh as he spoke; sounding so very different from the vampire most had known him to be.

But in a way it made sense that he would rule like this. He wouldn't have the position he did if he remained the happy-go-lucky ruler he appeared to be.

Just as Carlisle opened his mouth to respond, the phone went dead.

A twisted smile pulled at my lips once I noticed all of their golden brown eyes on me.

I couldn't wait for Alec, Demetri and Felix to get here, I couldn't wait for the moment when I could set my eyes upon the utter perfection that was Isabella and I especially couldn't wait for the moment when Aro dealt his punishment to the traitors among this coven.

'_So very, very many things to look forward to._'


End file.
